It’s no secret that political polarization has reached a fever pitch in America. 

A recent Pew Research Center report found “increasingly stark disagreement between Democrats and Republicans” and concluded that Americans “have rarely been as polarized as they are today.” 

Photo by Darren Halstead

Despite this politicization and partisan gridlock in Congress, Democratic and Republican commissioners at the FCC came together this week. During the November Open Commission meeting, the five FCC Commissioners voted unanimously to modernize the 5.9 GHz band, a move that will free up much needed spectrum for Wi-Fi — an issue voices on both sides of the aisle can agree on. 

Elected officials and third party groups across the political spectrum voiced their support for the measure. Here are some prominent voices in Congress and leading thinkers who championed the FCC’s action this week: 

 

• In advance of the vote, Representative Billy Long (R-MO-06) and Representative John Shimkus (R-IL-15) co-wrote a statement that said “we applaud the efforts of Chairman Pai and the FCC… to further enhance connectivity and Wi-Fi capabilities to help schools, small businesses and other critical aspects of our economy keep pace with growing digital demands.” 
• Following the unanimous vote, Representative Anna Eshoo (D-18-CA) released a statement in support, saying “I’ve long called for increasing spectrum allocated for unlicensed uses, like Wi-Fi, and I applaud the FCC’s decision to do just that in the 5.9 GHz band today.” 
• Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, tweeted out his support of the measure, saying “More good news from the @FCC on opening up critical spectrum in the 5.9 GHz band. Thanks @AjitPaiFCC for your continued leadership!”
• Following the official unanimous vote in the FCC, Representative Yvette Clark (D-NY-09), tweeted out her support, saying “As co-Chair of the #SmartCitiesCaucus, I’m pleased @FCC voted unanimously to modernize the 5.9GHz band. More spectrum will support the cities of the future.”
• Jeffrey Westling of the R Street Institute, tweeted out “The 5.9 GHz item is a perfect example of the Commission at its best; bipartisan support and direct benefits for Americans!” following the FCC’s vote.
• Prior to the vote, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance’s Johnny Kampis wrote an op-ed that stated “the FCC will wisely vote on plans to modernize the 5.9 GHz spectrum band, helping close the digital divide and aiding the growth of broadband.”
• The Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) also weighed in on the day of the vote, tweeting out “#WiFi is a literal lifeline during the COVID crisis and we need more spectrum to support it. The @FCC did the right thing today by opening up the 5.9 GHz band for unlicensed use!”

 

Amidst a time of unprecedented polarization in the United States, it’s important to search for “bright spots” where we can come together and agree on what is good for the nation. As evident this past week, the modernization of the 5.9 GHz band is clearly one of those few, but important, bright spots. We can all agree that connecting Americans to high-speed Wi-Fi is an uncontroversial goal, and we applaud the bipartisanship shown at the Commission this week to make this happen.