Senate Commerce Committee hearing presses for a spectrum pipeline while senators press DOD, industry and researchers on sharing and timelines

WASHINGTON — The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on opened a hearing to examine "the critical role of spectrum policy in driving the U.S. economy," with members and witnesses debating how to expand commercial access while preserving military and federal systems that rely on radio frequencies.

Chairman Crews told the panel that "Auctioning Spectrum has been one of the most successful drivers of American innovation, economic growth and global technology leadership," and urged passage of a Spectrum Pipeline Act that he said "would restore FCC auction authority and end our spectrum drought." He argued that auctions unlock investment and warned that slowing or ceding leadership to China risks long‑term economic and security costs.

The hearing drew four witnesses: Dr. Thomas Hazlitt, professor of economics at Clemson University; Dr. Charles Bayless, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Baylor University and director of SMART Hub; Matt Pearl, director of strategic technologies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS); and Brian Clark, senior fellow and director of the Center for Defense Concepts and Technology at the Hudson Institute. Each described different levers for expanding commercial use of spectrum while addressing national security concerns.

Why it matters: Spectrum auctions and reallocation have historically funded significant private investment and supported the growth of wireless industries, witnesses said. Senators pressed witnesses on whether restored auction authority would harm critical Department of Defense systems and on the time and cost of…