- The Big 3 wireless carriers will get access to more licensed spectrum
- But Wi-Fi players fear the Trump 2.0 FCC could taketh away what the Trump 1.0 gaveth
- The 6 GHz band and CBRS are both at risk, according to advocates for unlicensed spectrum
CTIA popped the proverbial champagne corks on Tuesday after the Senate narrowly passed the "One Big Beautiful Bill," but the Wi-Fi crowd is having none of it, fearing the U.S. government will take away precious Wi-Fi airwaves and put them up for auction.
The Senate version of the bill – and yes, it’s actually named "One Big Beautiful Bill" – includes many of the same spectrum provisions that the House version addressed. For example, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will get its auction authority reinstated and the 3.1-3.45 GHz and 7.4-8.4 GHz spectrum bands will be exempt from any auction.
But the Senate version designates 800 megahertz to be sold at auction versus 600 megahertz that the House offered and the Senate, largely thanks to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), did not include provisions to protect the 6 GHz or CBRS bands. Advocates for unlicensed spectrum say these bands are prime targets for filling the spectrum gap.
It’s obviously unknown what the final language will end up being as the House is scrambling to reconcile its version with the Senate’s before sending it to President Trump. But if the Senate’s language on spectrum prevails, advocates for existing users in the 6 GHz and CBRS bands are gearing up for a fight at the FCC and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
If the FCC were to take the 6 GHz band away from Wi-Fi, it would be reversing a decision made during the first Trump administration when Ajit Pai was chairman of the FCC. In 2020, the FCC allocated a full 1,200 megahertz of spectrum in the 6 GHz band for unlicensed purposes like Wi-Fi. CTIA didn’t like that, and now, five years later, Pai is the president and CEO of CTIA.
In a statement Tuesday, Pai praised the Senate for passing the One Big Beautiful Bill, saying it includes a solid spectrum pipeline and smart tax provisions to support wireless investment.
“Along with restoring FCC auction authority, establishing a robust 800-megahertz pipeline of mid-band spectrum with a specific timeframe for action is critical to meeting growing consumer demand, securing U.S. leadership in 5G, and strengthening national and economic security,” Pai said.
CTIA often points to a “looming spectrum crisis” as driving the need for more licensed spectrum. Critics point out that even carrier executives right now are saying they have plenty of spectrum for the time being.
Public Knowledge: Save our Wi-Fi
But the consumer watchdog group Public Knowledge said the budget bill could force the FCC to sell off as much as half of the currently unlicensed spectrum in the 6 GHz band to meet the higher auction quota.
“We urge House representatives – who protected the 6 GHz band from auction in the version originally passed by the House – to have the courage to restore those same protections stripped out by Senator Cruz (R-Texas). This will save our nation’s Wi-Fi from the auction block and secure American leadership in gigabit Wi-Fi,” said Sara Collins, director of Government Affairs at Public Knowledge, in a statement.
WISPA, which represents smaller wireless internet service providers all over the U.S., is concerned that both the CBRS and 6 GHz will be put on the auction block. Small ISPs rely heavily on these bands to bring service to in rural America.
The group pledged that when or if the bill becomes law, it will help the FCC understand "the integral role CBRS and 6 GHz services play in our national economy, urging the agency to leave those bands alone in meeting the calls of the legislation."