Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.) has circulated a discussion draft of a bill to accelerate the rollout of 5G wireless.
The 5G Acceleration Act would mandate action items and deadlines for the FCC.
They include: Auctioning 200 MHz of new spectrum below 7 GHz, with the auction required to begin by July 1, 2025; submitting a plan in coordination with the National Telecommunications & Information Administration by Jan. 1, 2024, to balance licensed and unlicensed spectrum; submitting a report to Congress by Jan. 1, 2018, identifying 300 MHz of different below-7 GHz spectrum.
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And in the near term, the FCC must issue a Notice of Inquiry on making spectrum available below 12 GHz.
Doyle said of the draft: "This draft bill is intended to benefit consumers, wireless providers, and the stakeholders who use unlicensed wireless technologies," he said. "I hope to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, as well as all of the stakeholders, to advance the deployment of broadband in our country—a goal we all share.”
