Wheeler Says Race to 5G Used as an Excuse by FCC, Others

Former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said many interests are using 5G as an excuse to get things they want, in a Brookings Institution blog post. T-Mobile and Sprint use the race for 5G as evidence their deal should be approved, Wheeler said. The FCC “has used the race to justify extending Washington’s regulatory reach down to telling local governments how to do zoning for antenna siting,” he said. Satellite companies want to recast their licenses for 5G spectrum and seek a “potential monetary windfall” from a private auction, he said. It's time for cooler heads to prevail, said Wheeler, a Brookings visiting fellow. “5G is an important step forward for wireless technology that will benefit consumers and drive economic growth,” he said. “However, it is time to take a deep breath and let logic temper emotional battle cries and political gamesmanship. We need to spend less time worrying about China and more time asking how we can we race to make 5G work for all Americans.”