How do we avoid C-band drama again?

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We’ve got ALL our experts chiming in on this one. This week’s question: What must happen to ensure agencies like DOT, the FAA and the FCC better collaborate to avoid pitfalls like the 5G vs. C-band issue?


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KRISTIAN STOUT, Director of Innovation Policy, International Center for Law & Economics:

That is the million dollar question lately. I think the coordination between NTIA and FCC is going to be a critical component of this, particularly if NTIA takes a leadership role in ensuring that federal concerns outside of the FCC’s specific remit are adequately addressed during rulemaking proceedings.

DEBORAH COLLIER, Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs, Citizens Against Government Waste:

Federal agencies must coordinate and collaborate on federally held and used spectrum bands and stop holding onto spectrum that has not been used at all or not used as intended. Concerns about interference with spectrum held by agencies or which are used by industries under their purview must be brought up immediately when the FCC announces a proceeding rather than after the fact. Agencies should also avoid issuing dramatic and inaccurate comments about the impact of 5G spectrum and make industries under their purview more prepared for the deployment if there may be any potential interference issues. Unwarranted delays in 5G deployment cannot be permitted since they could make it more difficult for the U.S. to maintain its global leadership in telecommunications.

JONATHAN CANNON, Resident Fellow Tech & Innovation, R Street Institute:

Instead of initiating their own public comment, or publicly challenging FCC orders/rules, agencies need to communicate with the FCC to clarify any concerns/confusion they have. FCC has the expertise to address most concerns raised by agencies like DOT/FAA. Federal agencies should be working together, not antagonistically. If agencies rely on FCC expertise and advocate a consistent message, they will avoid a number of the pitfalls that occurred with the FAA incident earlier this year.

KATHLEEN BURKE, Policy Counsel, Public Knowledge:

Recently, the FCC and the NTIA committed to re-establishing high-level meetings; updating their Memorandum of Understanding; promoting evidence-based spectrum compatibility analysis; and developing a national spectrum policy. These are essential steps to restoring a functional approach to spectrum coordination.

CHRISTOPHER SZYMANSKI, Director, Product Marketing | Technology Strategy, Broadcom Inc.:

Federal agencies such as DOT and the FAA should actively work with the spectrum experts in the FCC and NTIA early in the process. It is critical that FCC and NTIA engineers who are experts in spectrum sharing are working with federal agencies and fully understand their concerns. It is understandable that different viewpoints yield very different interpretations of technical results, but if there is ongoing collaboration, progress in sharing is possible.

JEFFREY WESTLING, Director of Tech & Innovation, American Action Forum: 

Beyond improving the coordination mechanisms, which sounds like progress is being made, the agencies must bolster their engineering capacity and the coordination between those engineers to ensure that all parties start with the same baseline set of facts. These disputes often come down to engineering, and if we can get parties to agree on the engineering, maybe the disputes will become less problematic to deal with.

RYAN JOHNSTON, Policy Counsel, Federal Programs, Next Century Cities:

Information-sharing is the best potential solution to the collaboration challenges associated with 5G and C-band. When one agency has concerns about another agency’s actions, regardless of how small they may seem, that should be shared from the outset. Candor ensures that the agency promulgating rules has the largest public record to work with at the close of a comment period. Additionally, separate interagency discussions about potential barriers could streamline information sharing significantly. Speaking with potentially agencies that have a stake in the outcome could help identify potential industry challenges before the FCC concludes a rulemaking proceeding.

MICHAEL CALABRESE, Director, Wireless Future Project, New America:

The White House needs to take a leadership role on spectrum policy and clarify that NTIA is the sole decider and coordinator of federal agency spectrum use. For its part, NTIA needs to participate from the beginning in every FCC spectrum proceeding that could impact federal agencies, so that problems are worked out in advance, with no second-guessing after the FCC adopts a final order. When NTIA and the FCC cannot agree, the White House needs to mediate based on what’s in the overall national interest.

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