House communications subcommittee urges swift reauthorization of FCC auction authority; members spar over use of proceeds and shared-spectrum approaches

Chairman Hudson convened the House Communications and Technology Subcommittee on Feb. 5, 2025, to examine U.S. spectrum policy and the nearly two‑year lapse of the Federal Communications Commission’s spectrum auction authority.

The hearing featured testimony from industry and public‑interest witnesses who urged Congress to reauthorize auction authority quickly and to craft a bipartisan plan for how new spectrum is studied and released. Representative Doris Matsui, the subcommittee’s ranking member, said restoring auction authority must come with protections that “close the digital divide, protect national security, and support public safety communications.”

Why it matters: Lawmakers, regulators and companies told the panel that demand for mid‑band and unlicensed spectrum is rising rapidly as consumers, businesses and government systems carry growing volumes of data. Witnesses said a practical reauthorization paired with a clear spectrum pipeline would signal to global standards bodies and industry that the United States is ready to compete on 5G, Wi‑Fi and future 6G deployments.

Industry witnesses described near‑term capacity gaps. Michael Powell, president and CEO of NCTA — The Internet & Television Association, told the committee, “Wi‑Fi has become the backbone of America’s internet experience,” and argued the country needs both more unlicensed spectrum for Wi‑Fi and shared spectrum approaches that let government users and commercial users coexist. Brad Gillen, executive vice president of CTIA, described spectrum as “our oxygen,” saying models now project the industry will need roughly 400 megahertz more by 2027 and more than 800 megahertz by 2029 to meet traffic growth.

Shared models and CBRS: Several witnesses recommended shared‑access approaches as ways to bring spectrum to market without displacing mission‑critical federal systems. Powell and others cited the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) as a working example that produced diverse license winners and local deployments for schools, factories, utilities and public‑safety partners. Powell said dynamic spectrum management can allow “multiple users to use the same bands simultaneously without interference.”

Open RAN and vendor diversity: Diane Reynaldo, executive director of the Open RAN Policy Coalition, urged Congress to support open, interoperable radio access networks (Open RAN) to reduce vendor lock‑in and expand trusted supplier options. Reynaldo described Open RAN deployments abroad and argued the technology can help the United States and allied partners avoid overreliance on single vendors.

National security and international standards: Members repeatedly framed spectrum policy as part of strategic competition with China. Several lawmakers and witnesses warned that inconsistent U.S. positions going into international meetings reduce U.S. influence in global standard‑setting. “If we fail to maintain our global leadership on spectrum, we create a vacuum that China will happily fill,” Representative Doris Matsui said. Witnesses urged stronger interagency coordination (NTIA, DOD, FCC) and earlier, engineer‑to‑engineer engagement on band studies.

Uses of auction proceeds: Democrats on the panel pressed that proceeds from future auctions should fund public benefits such as Next Generation 9‑1‑1 and digital inclusion, while some Republican members pushed for faster market access and permitting reforms to accelerate deployment. Chris Lewis, president and CEO of Public Knowledge, recommended using auction revenues for digital inclusion, NG9‑1‑1 and resiliency programs.

Permitting and workforce: Industry witnesses told lawmakers that delays in permitting and shortages of trained workers slow network builds once spectrum is available. CTIA and other trade groups urged permitting reform and longer‑term signaling from Congress about future spectrum availability to allow tower builders and equipment suppliers to plan hiring and training.

What did not change at the hearing: The subcommittee did not record any formal votes or enact legislation. No floor reauthorization occurred during the hearing; witnesses and members discussed bills and proposals but did not take committee action at the session.

What’s next: Members said they intend to pursue reauthorization legislation and to keep pressing for a bipartisan approach that couples auction authority with a plan for mid‑band studies, shared‑access experiments, and clearly defined public‑interest uses of proceeds. Several members asked witnesses to provide additional technical and written responses to follow‑up questions; the chairman asked members to submit questions for the record.

Ending note: The panel closed with bipartisan statements on the urgency of decisions: witnesses and members agreed that the United States needs both more spectrum in markets and improved interagency cooperation to ensure secure, resilient networks and continued U.S. leadership in wireless innovation.