Press releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), chairman of the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations Subcommittee, chaired a hearing Thursday on the United States’ role in the race to implement 5G technology.

Sen. Kennedy has advocated for a public, government-run C-band spectrum auction that will set up the United States to be a world leader in new 5G technology. A public auction will ensure that the process is transparent and that the funds produced from the auction will remain in the United States. The alternative, a private auction, will be a closed-door process that will allow foreign companies to profit from the auction’s sales.

A public auction of the C-band spectrum is imperative to bringing 5G technology to rural communities.  In a public auction, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will prioritize taxpayer interests and expedite 5G deployment in the U.S.

 “The United States is in a race with the world to be a leader in new 5G technology.  A transparent public auction is the only way to ensure that taxpayer money is managed responsibly and that the United States has a fighting chance of winning this race,” said Sen. Kennedy. “We should not allow foreign companies to profit off of an asset that the U.S. has jurisdiction over.  I want to protect and promote American innovation in 5G technology, and it all begins with a public auction of the C-band spectrum.”

 

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