UPDATE The Senate recently passed John Kennedy’s (R-LA) 5G Spectrum Authority Licensing Enforcement (SALE) Act. The legislation would require the FCC to release previously auctioned spectrum in order to expand 5G broadband access to rural communities.
“My 5G SALE Act provides Americans with access to broadband by giving the FCC the authority to finish transferring previously auctioned spectrum to companies that offer 5G coverage. The House should move quickly to send this bill to the president’s desk so that the job providers who depend on wireless communications in Louisiana and across America can continue to support rural economies,” said Kennedy.
The 5G SALE Act would temporarily grant the FCC auction authority it needs to complete spectrum transfers, which would allow broadband services to provide greater 5G network coverage to Americans in rural areas. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has said without its spectrum auction authority, the agency can’t transfer previously auction licenses to new owners, Inside Towers reported.
T-Mobile won the bulk – 7,156 – of the 2.5 GHz licenses in Auction 108 last summer. Kennedy has characterized his bill as a “simple solution” to bureaucratic red tape.
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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