O'Rielly, Rosenworcel Say US 5G Leadership Being Tested, Differ on Response Details

FCC Commissioners Mike O'Rielly and Jessica Rosenworcel agreed U.S. 5G leadership is critical but under challenge and requires more spectrum and infrastructure. In back-to-back Q&As at The Atlantic Festival Wednesday, both said other countries are moving ahead aggressively with 5G wireless efforts. They differed on how best to spur 5G deployment, their level of concern about U.S. tariffs, the need to prepare for 6G, and state net neutrality efforts. American industry is "leading the charge," O'Rielly said, but other nations are engaging in "industrial policy" through standards-setting bodies and other mechanisms to gain advantage. He said the U.S. response must remove local barriers to antenna siting and make spectrum available to give companies the tools to invest. "We can't rest on our 4G laurels," said Rosenworcel, citing China, Europe and South Korea as racing to clear spectrum for 5G, and Asian deployment as advanced: "I think I see [U.S. leadership] as much more fragile than my colleagues do." She said incentives are needed for DOD to free up spectrum and for states and localities to streamline siting processes, including grant programs. Focus on how 5G connectivity can address problems such as traffic congestion and air pollution, she suggested. She again voiced concern that new 10 percent tariffs (with 25 percent possible in 2019) on Chinese products, including telecom network equipment, could slow deployment. O'Rielly isn't too worried about the tariff dispute near term because he suspects the issues will be worked out in "cat-and-mouse" negotiations, but if not, his concern will increase. He said there's so much 5G "heavy lifting" to do that he hasn't focused on 6G. Rosenworcel said it's not too early to start thinking about that future, which promises even more radical network advances and broader changes. On net neutrality, she welcomed the "extraordinary activity around the country" as states pass laws and governors and mayors take actions. O'Rielly said there's much agreement on principles and Congress could draft a workable law, which he believes shouldn't ban all paid prioritization. Instead, advocates pushed through a "crazy" California law banning zero-rating plans and called it "the gold standard," he said. "If that's gold, then I want to operate in a different currency."