We Need More Spectrum to Make Rural 5G a Reality

Walk around most cities in America and what will you see? People on their phones. Every second of the day, we’re making calls, sending texts, and writing emails. In 2022, we can be both on the move and online, and city dwellers make it look easy.

From a city perspective, wireless connectivity is in full effect and making a difference to the fullest potential possible – but – if you look around to the 97% of America’s rural areas, you will see that the full potential of wireless connectivity is far from being met.

Rural Americans are far too familiar with spotty connectivity. It’s not just getting a mobile connection when on the go that presents difficulties – getting a reliable connection at home has also proven to be its own problem.

Those of us in rural communities know what the hunt for a connection looks like – whether it is hiking a hill behind the house to find bars or driving miles away to the nearest location with public Wi-Fi. It is an inconvenience that should not be a reality in 2022, and it is holding back many of our rural communities from participating in telehealth, e-commerce, distance learning, and emerging technologies.

Bringing 5G networks to rural areas can bridge connectivity gaps so rural communities no longer have to fight unreliable connections, slower speeds, and crippling lag times. 5G can put our rural communities in a position to make the most of new technology and embrace the digital future ahead. With 5G rollout currently underway, it is essential that rural Americans don’t get left behind.

What’s 5G? It is the fifth generation of wireless connectivity, and it is central not only to basic tasks that many people take for granted nowadays, but 5G also enables the innovations that will drive our economy and workplaces in the years to come.

5G networks are built on spectrum waves, which are the radio frequencies that transmit wireless signals. It is hard to overstate how important wireless connectivity, and the spectrum that supports it, has become.

In the past, the public and private sector have worked together to identify valuable mid-band spectrum that made our rollout of 5G networks possible. As it stands now, the United States is running out of spectrum, and the FCC’s spectrum auction authority is set to expire in mid-December. We need a steady stream of spectrum – also called a spectrum pipeline – if we are to expand connectivity across the country.

We need to connect all of rural America so everyone can fully participate in the digital world. Any delay in replenishing our spectrum pipeline means a delay in allowing rural communities to tap into the benefits of 5G networks. 5G will serve as the foundation of how students learn, how individuals access telehealth, how businesses reach new markets, and how communities communicate.

Rural America is the backbone of our country. We must get our spectrum strategy right so rural communities thrive. One way to start is by creating a clear roadmap outlining what spectrum bands and frequencies will soon be made available for mobile operators to deploy 5G.

There is still time left in the current session, and Congress must act to reauthorize spectrum auction authority so Americans can take advantage of this valuable resource, no matter where they reside.