Senate Commerce hearing: lawmakers, experts press to restore FCC auction authority and debate spectrum pipeline vs. military needs

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation heard broad agreement that spectrum policy will be central to U.S. economic and national security competitiveness — but members diverged on how quickly to press auctions and how to protect Defense Department missions.

"Auctioning Spectrum has been one of the most successful drivers of American innovation, economic growth and global technology leadership," Chairman Crews said in opening testimony, framing auctions as critical to unlocking private investment and enabling technologies from smartphones to generative AI. Multiple witnesses and senators urged Congress to restore the Federal Communications Commission's auction authority, which the panel was told lapsed in March 2023, and to set clearing targets so companies can invest with certainty.

Witnesses described a three‑part case: auctions and clear mid‑band access spur commercial investment; adaptive technology and dynamic sharing can reduce conflict between commercial and federal users; and national security considerations require careful, engineering‑level study. Matt Pearl of the Center for Strategic and International Studies warned that ceding leadership in next‑generation networks to Chinese firms would be grave. "It's catastrophic for…