For the US to Win on 5G, Allow a Free Market Competition for Spectrum

On Friday, President Trump reiterated his commitment to America triumphing in the competition for the fifth- generation of wireless technology. He declared that, “Secure 5G networks will absolutely be a vital link to America’s prosperity and national security in the 21st Century….We cannot allow any other country to out-compete the United States in this powerful industry….It’s a race that we will win.”

To do that, he is “freeing up as much wireless spectrum as needed…and removing regulatory barriers to the buildout of [5G] networks.”

For Mr. Trump’s vision to be realized, however, a different approach is going to be needed – one featuring a wholesale, free-market spectrum auction allowing numerous 5G companies to utilize bandwidths allocated to the U.S. military. Such competition could generate a trillion-dollar reduction in mobile phone costs, while enabling America to achieve a secure network and lead the world.