Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Wireless spectrum policy is vital to national security and the economy

Circuit board with 5G label
Funtap/Getty Images

Lopez is president of the Hispanic Leadership Fund, a public policy advocacy organization that promotes liberty, opportunity and prosperity for all Americans.

While it may not get the dramatic headlines that other topics garner, few public policy issues will affect the future of our country the way telecommunications infrastructure will, specifically considering the current regulatory path for 5G and wireless spectrum.

How American policymakers handle spectrum will affect national security and American economic international competitiveness now and for decades to come. Economic growth, entrepreneurship, upward mobility, innovation, education and health care are among the areas that are and will be impacted.


That is because spectrum — the radio frequencies that transmit information wirelessly — is the foundation necessary to ensure that American consumers have access to reliable and affordable high-speed internet. And in our increasingly connected world, access to spectrum has a direct bearing on economic activity across vital industries.

American security and international status come into play because our economic competitors understand the crucial role that spectrum plays and are already relying on its use to be a key factor in commerce. Political leaders of all persuasions talk about ensuring that the United States leads the world’s economy — in particular over China, a country that many see becoming progressively adversarial toward us.

There is spectrum to be had, but it needs to be made available. Historically, the Federal Communications Commission, which controls access to and use of the various spectrum bands for non-federal users, had authority to auction licenses. That authority expired over a year ago, and Congress needs to move on reauthorizing it.

The good news is that the spectrum auctions have been a Nobel-worthy approach that has been beneficial to taxpayers, bringing in more than $233 billion to the U.S. treasury, paid by wireless companies via the auctions. All companies can participate, including new entrants in the market. That increased competition among providers yields lower broadband prices for consumers.

Recently introduced legislation in the Senate, the Spectrum Pipeline Act of 2024, would in part reestablish the FCC’s auction authority — a necessary first step.

Along with auction reauthorization, the bill acknowledges the role of mid-band spectrum, which works well for 5G applications due to its combination of capacity and range. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration would be directed to identify at least 2,500 megahertz of mid-band spectrum that can be reallocated from federal to non-federal use.

Wireless industry association leaders project that in just three years, China will have nearly quadruple more licensed mid-band spectrum for commercial purposes than the United States. That analysis also shows that the U.S. is lagging behind countries like France, Japan, the United Kingdom and South Korea. In fact, the U.S. is currently ranked 13th in the world for assigned licensed mid-band mobile spectrum according to research from IT and technology consulting firm Accenture.

In addition to the wider issue of global competitiveness, there are the practical, everyday economic benefits for Americans in modernizing our spectrum policy that only increase the significance to moving spectrum policy forward. By now most Americans have an intuitive understanding of how they benefit from internet connectivity.

Those benefits still need to be expanded to parts of the population, however. The gap in access to communication technologies hurts millions of underserved communities. That is known as the digital divide — and wireless access is an essential component to addressing that disparity. For example, data from Pew Research Center shows that 20 percent of the Hispanic population relies solely on smartphones for access to broadband for internet connectivity. Other communities face similar circumstances.

Ensuring that access is an important component for improving prospects for economic opportunity.

The tangible role of the internet to education, a cornerstone for individual success, is evident. Improved internet access allows students to access online educational resources, participate in remote learning and engage in e-learning platforms. This helps level the playing field and ensures that individuals from all socioeconomic backgrounds have equal access to educational opportunities, enabling them to acquire the skills necessary for better career prospects.

The rise in Fixed Wireless Access, which uses wireless broadband for home and business internet, has been a positive development in this regard. FWA can continue to be one way for more people to enjoy broadband for the first time than before. But providers can only offer 5G FWA in areas where there is enough spectrum and network capability.

Policymakers need to understand the magnitude of wireless spectrum policy, and its ramifications for Americans, both as individuals in pursuit of social and economic advancement and for the country’s national security and standing. The costs of not doing so would be a significant, and lasting, setback on all these fronts.

Read More

Presidential Incapacity and the Limits of the 25th Amendment

Lynn Schmidt explains how a strong 25th Amendment would protect the presidency itself "by ensuring smooth transitions and public confidence in executive leadership..."

Getty Images, Pool

Presidential Incapacity and the Limits of the 25th Amendment

The authors of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution established and explained the complete order of presidential succession, as well as a series of contingency plans to fill any executive vacancies. It was written as a response to the weaknesses found in Article II after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and what was learned about the inadequacies related to presidential illnesses and hospitalizations.

It feels like the time is not only right but needed for another updated response.

Keep ReadingShow less
Examining Florida’s Controversial New Immigration Bills: SB 2-C and SB 4-C

On February 13, 2025, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law two major immigration enforcement bills: Senate Bill 2-C (SB 2-C) and Senate Bill 4-C (SB 4-C).

Metin Ozer on Unsplash

Examining Florida’s Controversial New Immigration Bills: SB 2-C and SB 4-C

On February 13, 2025, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law two major immigration enforcement bills: Senate Bill 2-C (SB 2-C) and Senate Bill 4-C (SB 4-C). Introduced by Senator Joe Gruters and co-sponsored by Senator Randy Fine, these bills build upon Florida’s ongoing efforts to increase state involvement in immigration enforcement. Florida’s immigration laws come amid rising state-federal tension over immigration authority, particularly in states led by Republican governors.

SB 2-C includes initiatives relating to funding, cooperation with federal immigration agencies, and law enforcement infrastructure. SB 4-C introduces provisions that criminalize entry and reentry into Florida by undocumented immigrants and create new state-level immigration-related offenses. This brief explores the major provisions of Florida’s SB 2-C and SB 4-C, analyzing the legal, political, and humanitarian arguments for and against their enforcement.

Keep ReadingShow less
The State of Health in America: A Political and Scientific Crossfire

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. testifies before the Senate Finance Committee at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on September 04, 2025 in Washington, DC.

(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The State of Health in America: A Political and Scientific Crossfire

At the heart of the Trump administration’s health agenda is a dramatic reorientation of public health priorities. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared during a Senate hearing last week:

“We at HHS are enacting a once-in-a-generation shift from a sick-care system, to a true health care system that tackles the root causes of chronic disease.”

“Make America Healthy Again” has been met with both praise and fierce resistance. Republican Senator Mike Crapo supported the initiative, saying:

Keep ReadingShow less
When Politicians Pick Voters: Why Gerrymandering Is Undermining Democracy

An image depicting a map of a district with unusually shaped boundaries, highlighting how areas are divided in a non-compact or fragmented way.

AI generated

When Politicians Pick Voters: Why Gerrymandering Is Undermining Democracy

The partisan fight to draw maps that determine how Americans are represented has entered a dangerous spiral. Texas is racing ahead with a mid-decade congressional redraw designed to lock in additional seats after President Donald J. Trump called upon state lawmakers to find five seats. California’s leaders responded in kind to offset the Texas map, but will hold a special election in which voters must decide whether to put aside the state’s Congressional maps drawn by an independent redistricting commission for the next three election cycles. Other states are openly weighing similar moves. But this “map wars” logic is dangerous, and voters from all backgrounds stand to lose as districts harden into safe seats and politicians’ accountability to voters further withers.

Large majorities of Americans say that gerrymandering — which lets politicians pick their voters instead of the other way around — is unfair and a problem. When politicians and party insiders draw their own districts, the maps can be engineered to protect incumbents, not voters. As a result, gerrymandering contributes to the erosion of public confidence in elections. It lessens people’s sense that change can happen, and reduces the ability of voters to hold leaders accountable.

Keep ReadingShow less