Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation today held a hearing on spectrum and national security. WifiForward Executive Director Mary Brown testified before the hearing on the importance of unlicensed spectrum and the critical roles Wi-Fi and unlicensed spectrum play in U.S. global leadership.

“Wi-Fi technology is a bedrock of our nation’s connectivity here at home and is pivotal to our national security and global competitiveness,” Brown testified.

Committee leaders agreed with Brown’s assessment on the importance of Wi-Fi. “Our strategy should include approaches on unlicensed and licensed spectrum,” said Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), chair of the committee. 

“With its low barriers to entry and freedom from regulation, Wi-Fi is a quintessentially American success story,” said Senator Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), ranking member of the committee. 

Brown also testified that the U.S. Wi-Fi industry has been on the frontlines battling against Chinese interests on the global stage. “At WRC last year, China attempted a spectrum grab. They tried to use the WRC decision-making process to basically tell the world not to use the upper part of the 6 GHz band for unlicensed. That is not what happened.” Instead, thanks to American leadership, countries around the world are working toward their own implementations of American Wi-Fi technology in the 6 GHz band. 

Brown called on policymakers to further America’s global position by designating the 7 GHz band for unlicensed use: “If we can position new unlicensed spectrum contiguous to 6 GHz band, for which there are already standards and equipment, that would be a tremendous show of American leadership.”

Brown’s full opening remarks at today’s hearing can be found here. 

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