Spectrum for the Future Slams CTIA Chief's Stance on Unlicensed Spectrum
Spectrum for the Future went on the attack Thursday against new CTIA President Ajit Pai over his calls for more spectrum for high-power licensed use. Pai has had a big week, contributing an opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal (see 2505050033) and hosting CTIA’s 5G Summit (see 2505060036). Spectrum for the Future is funded by cable companies and other sharing advocates. CTIA didn't comment Thursday.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
Pai “warns that wireless traffic is expected to triple by 2029” but “omits that the overwhelming share of this traffic will travel over Wi-Fi, not cellular networks,” Spectrum for the Future said: If Pai “is really concerned with U.S. spectrum policy keeping up with consumer demand, he should join Wi-Fi advocates in calling for additional unlicensed spectrum in the 7 GHz band. Spectrum policy should be driven by market realities, not lobbying agendas or government favoritism.”
Pai is wrong to compare 5G spectrum allocations in the U.S. to those in China, the group said. “China’s spectrum policy goes all-in on exclusive-license frameworks, such as 5G, because they limit spectrum access to just a small handful of regime-aligned telecom companies complicit in Beijing’s censorship regime.”
Spectrum for the Future also called out carrier CEOs, saying that in recent financial calls, they said they had yet to deploy all the spectrum they own. The group also said that while the citizens broadband radio service auction took place under Pai, when he was chairman of the FCC, CTIA now wants “to effectively end CBRS -- canceling thousands of licenses already purchased at auction and powering down more than 400,000 CBRS base stations already deployed and serving millions of customers.”
.