Senate Commerce Sets Feb. 6 5G Hearing; CTIA, CCA Heads to Testify

CTIA President Meredith Baker and Competitive Carriers Association President Steve Berry are among those set to testify at an expected Feb. 6 Senate Commerce Committee hearing on 5G deployment issues, the committee said Wednesday. Intelligent Transportation Society of America President Shailen Bhatt, U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission member Michael Wessel and Urbanova CEO Kim Zentz will also testify. The hearing is to begin immediately after a 10 a.m. Senate Commerce executive session in G50 Dirksen. The hearing, a priority for committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss. (see 1901090055), will “focus on key steps to maintain U.S. global leadership in next-generation communications technology, spectrum needs to accelerate deployment, and new applications and services consumers can expect with 5G deployments,” the committee said. “The hearing will also examine current efforts to modernize infrastructure siting policies and the security of 5G networks.” There may be interest in discussing the Streamlining the Rapid Evolution and Modernization of Leading-Edge Infrastructure Necessary to Enhance Small Cell Deployment Act during the hearing, lobbyists said. 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 opposition from state and local governments (see 1810040055).