Licensed Spectrum Is Critical to U.S. Economic Competitiveness, Study Finds

WASHINGTON - Continued wireless leadership is critical to America's economic competitiveness, according to a new report from CTIA. Next generation 5G networks are boosting domestic economic growth and enhancing the ability of American companies across industries to compete globally. A pipeline of mid-band spectrum for full-power, licensed commercial use is critical to securing the benefits, the study finds.

"Wireless drives America's global competitiveness, powering the world's largest economy and its innovative industries through our world-leading networks," said CTIA President and CEO Meredith Attwell Baker. "To secure American leadership of the innovations and industries of the future, from smart manufacturing to remote healthcare and beyond, we need more full-power, licensed mid-band spectrum."

Wireless providers are committed to their networks and investing in America, to the tune of an average of $54 billion per year, according to a recent study by Advanced Analytical Consulting Group's Tim Tardiff. That investment is paying off with 5G's advanced speeds, capacity, and responsiveness enabling faster, more efficient production processes throughout the economy, and boosting industrial productivity and growth. And 5G provides the secure, widely available network that companies rely on to produce, transmit, and process the large amounts of information that are key to advancing cutting-edge innovation today.

The report, "How Licensed Spectrum Fuels U.S. Economic Competitiveness," reviews how companies across the manufacturing, agricultural, healthcare and life sciences, transportation, and research sectors are using 5G to drive innovation and enhance their global competitiveness. Precision agriculture, driverless cars, automated factory procedures and telemedicine are all key applications poised to benefit from 5G.

As the report highlights, licensed spectrum has a long history of powering innovation and productivity gains throughout the economy, and 5G is poised to make U.S. firms even more competitive, if the wireless industry can access enough full-power, licensed spectrum. Other countries, such as China, see the same opportunity to position their domestic industries to lead the development of 5G-enabled innovations, and are making significant amounts of spectrum available to support the growth of their 5G networks.

To maintain our 5G leadership, meet exploding demand, and build the foundation for future innovation and growth, policymakers must move quickly to license suitable sections of the lower 3 GHz and 7/8 GHz bands for full-power 5G networks. In doing so, the U.S. can avoid isolating itself from the global 5G ecosystem and continue its longstanding leadership in developing wireless technology and leveraging the productivity gains from wireless to advance American competitiveness.

A copy of CTIA's report, How Licensed Spectrum Fuels U.S. Competitiveness, can be found here: https://www.ctia.org/news/how-licensed-spectrum-fuels-u-s-competitiveness.