Senate Commerce Delaying 5G Hearing During Government Shutdown

The Senate Commerce Committee is delaying a 5G hearing (see 1901090055) because it's likely to include testimony from officials from executive agencies “who would like to be adequately” briefed by staff but can't be during the partial government shutdown, Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., told reporters Wednesday. Wicker declined to name the potential government witnesses. “They could attend, but in deference to them, I think they should be as ready with staff support as we committee members are,” he said. Wicker earlier told us he hoped the hearing would include discussion about “how [the U.S.] stacks up against other nations” in deploying 5G tech and how Congress can help industry speed deployments. Senate Communications Subcommittee ranking member Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, meanwhile, told us he isn't planning to immediately refile his Streamlining the Rapid Evolution and Modernization of Leading-Edge Infrastructure Necessary to Enhance (Streamline) Small Cell Deployment Act while he evaluates how to potentially revise it. The bill, filed last Congress, aims to implement a “reasonable process and timeframe guidelines” for state and local small-cell consideration (see 1806290063). It faced state and local opposition.