5G
Gigi Sohn on Wireless Mergers, Utah Ignite Lunch Launch, and New Global Crypto-Currencies

The political turmoil and guess-manship over the proposed T-Mobile/Sprint merger continues, with 10 state attorney generals filing a lawsuit in New York last week in a federal district court. Unusually, the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice did not join the lawsuit.
It’s not the first thing that’s unusual about this particular merger review. In a Tuesday piece on the Benton Foundation’s “Digital Beat,” noted telecom consumer advocate Gigi Sohn cataloged the growing elements of intrigue:
- For the FCC to “go it alone” was unprecedented. When the FCC and the Antitrust Division are both charged with reviewing mergers in the media and telecommunications industries, the two agencies will announce a decision to grant a merger almost simultaneously. In the nearly four weeks since Pai gave his blessing to the transaction, the Antitrust Division and the Assistant Attorney General who leads it, Makan Delrahim, have made no official announcement. There have only been news reports that Delrahim is not satisfied with the Pai’s decision and instead is trying to create a new, viable, fourth national mobile wireless carrier by requiring the merging parties to divest spectrum and other assets, a task that few believe is possible.
- Why did Chairman Pai get so far ahead of his Justice Department colleague? Many observers believe it was to put political pressure on Delrahim to approve the deal, against the reported wishes of the career staff of the Antitrust Division. In addition, Fox Business has reported that senior White House officials have also voiced their support for the merger, though it is unclear whether they have spoken directly to Delrahim.
Sohn, a critic of the merger, highlights how the complaint of the state attorneys general demonstrates that the merger will raise prices and reduce competition. She also said that the companies’ promises to roll out the next generation of 5G wireless in rural America are “promises the companies made to rapidly rollout next generation 5G wireless services and serve large swaths of rural America are speculative, unsubstantiated and unenforceable.”
Facebook announces new crypto-currency app Calibra, and Spotify joins Libra Association
Facebook’s crypto-currency foray will allow the social network giant’s users access to the Libra network, the company said in a Tuesday statement. Facebook’s first product, Calibra, will serve as a digital wallet for the open source blockchain currency. The wallet will be available in Messenger, WhatsApp and as a standalone app, and the company expects to launch it next year.
Also on Tuesday, Spotify announced its partnership with the Libra Association, the non-profit organization that manages the cypto-currency.
Spotify highlights how about 1.7 billion adults worldwide have no access to mobile money, a bank account or payment card. Libra’s reserve-backed currency will enable people to send, spend and save their money through a financial ecosystem powered by secure blockchain technology.
“One challenge for Spotify and its users around the world has been the lack of easily accessible payment systems – especially for those in financially underserved markets,” said chief premium business officer Alex Norström, “In joining the Libra Association, there is an opportunity to better reach Spotify’s total addressable market, eliminate friction and enable payments in mass scale.”
Utah hosts Smart Cities Lunch
Utah Ignite and the Point of the Mountain Chamber of Commerce in Lehi, Utah, is hosting a monthly Smart Cities Lunch on Thursday, June 20. The event will bring the tech community and city leaders together to discuss the opportunities and best practices of smart city initiatives.
Because of the existence of robust fiber-optic networks through the Utah Telecommunications Open Infrastructure Agency in 11 cities, and Google Fiber in Provo and Salt Lake, Utah already has one of the most-advanced fiber-optic infrastructure anywhere in the country.
Glenn Ricart, the founder and chief technology officer of US Ignite – and an instrumental force in the creation of the Utah-based Utah Ignite – will speak at the event. Ricart was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame in 2013 for implementing the first Inter-net interconnection point, the FIX in College Park, Maryland.
5G
Rural Mobile Providers Push FCC to Alter 5G Fund Model
If carrier receiving legacy federal funds lose at auction, they could leave areas ‘stranded,’ providers say.

WASHINGTON, September 14, 2023 – Rural mobile providers are urging the Federal Communications Commission to consider an alternative to the reverse auction funding model the agency proposed for a future 5G fund.
The fund has been in limbo since 2020 due to mapping issues. It makes $9 billion available for 5G mobile broadband infrastructure in areas unlikely to be served without subsidies.
With access to newer, granular data on mobile broadband coverage in the U.S., the FCC released on August 31 a notice proposing updates to the program’s methodologies for defining areas eligible for funding and seeking comment on potential new provisions like extending support to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The proposal is slated to be discussed at the agency’s open meeting on September 21.
Ahead of that discussion, the Rural Wireless Association has met with FCC officials five times in the last month to reiterate the same concerns over the program’s reverse auction model. Under this procedure, providers would compete to develop the cheapest cost structure for serving an area with the minimum required speeds – at least 35 Mbps upload and 3 Mbps download in the case of the 5G Fund.
Rural providers are concerned because some areas served by carriers receiving support from legacy funding programs like the Mobility Fund will be eligible for auction. If those carriers lose at auction, the RWA says, the reduction in federal funds might make them unable to continue operating their infrastructure and leave other areas covered by their networks without service.
“There is no ‘safety valve’ put in place that would protect these networks built with federal dollars and maintained by legacy support mobile carriers,” the association wrote in an ex parte filing on Wednesday.
The RWA has proposed the commission seek comment on allowing these providers to opt out of the reverse auction if they are an area’s sole mobile carrier. In such a scenario, the group also wants the FCC to consider subsidizing 5G upgrades based on predicted costs.
5G
CTIA Report Says 5G Available in 54% of U.S., 35% of Korea and 27% of China
The wireless association says 5G will add $1.5 trillion in GDP and 4.5 million in new jobs over 10 years.

WASHINGTON, July 14, 2023 – A report by wireless trade association CTIA showed that the United States is making strides towards 5G development, and that the wireless standard is expected to add $1.5 trillion in GDP and 4.5 million of new jobs over the next decade.
Breaking the benefit down by geography, the study showed that 5G has contributed $139 billion to GDP growth in New York City, $65 billion to the Seattle area, $43 billion to Dallas, and $20 billion to San Diego.
The United States has emerged as a frontrunner among its global counterparts in terms of 5G availability, according to CTIA, with 54% coverage. This percentage appears to position it ahead of South Korea by nearly 20 percentage points, while surpassing China’s rate of 27% and more than three times the United Kingdom’s rate of 17%.
The report draws upon a 2021 study by BCG, 5G Promises Massive Job and GDP Growth in the U.S., February 2021, and supplements additional numbers sourced to prior CTIA reports. The trade group attributed the $275 billion of investment by service providers on infrastructure buildouts and enhancement. About $35 billion was spent in 2021.
5G’s faster deployment rate, increased consumer adoption, and superior performance compared to its 4G predecessor make it a key player in bridging the digital divide and mitigating climate change and strengthening national security, CTIA said.
Despite the progress made, the report reiterated the need to obtain more licensed mid-band spectrum to enable network expansion.
“This required a coordinated effort, starting with Congress re-establishing the Federal Communications Commission’s auction authority and auction pipeline,” urged the report.
The commission’s authority to license spectrum has expired in March and has not been renewed.
5G
Joel Thayer and Greg Guice: FCC Needs to Unchain T-Mobile to Promote 5G
5G is also helping carriers reach those on the wrong side of the digital divide.

We have all heard the pitch for 5G—a faster, better, and more interconnected mobile ecosystem. But it’s so much more than that. It allows children to transform the world into their classroom with augmented reality. It enables surgeons to operate on patients from hundreds of miles away. Because 5G networks can carry an almost immeasurable amount of data over their networks, smart cities, precision agriculture, and other AI-enabled applications are now becoming a reality.
We were only able to achieve such strides in 5G because our government made releasing spectrum—the invisible real estate that makes your mobile device work—a national priority. For example, Congress, in a bipartisan effort, passed the MOBILE NOW Act in 2018, which, among other things, created a spectrum pipeline for commercial 5G use. At the speed of 5G, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) responded with its 5G FAST Plan and opened up more than six gigahertz of spectrum for licensed 5G services, including more than 600 megahertz of mid-band spectrum to auction to augment our 5G capacities.
Their work paid off.
5G speeds are increasing. According to the IEEE—the preeminent standards group for wireless technology, “[w]ireless carriers like Verizon and AT&T have recorded speeds of one gigabyte per second.” To put that in perspective, that’s, as IEEE continues, “even faster than a fiber-optic cable connection.” Due to the comparable speeds to fiber, it’s no wonder why 92% of users access broadband services through their mobile device.
The 5G revolution has also been a boon to our economy. It has enabled 4.5 million jobs and will contribute a total of $1.5 trillion to the United States’ gross domestic product by 2025. The added competition from wireless providers have also put more money in consumers’ pockets as monthly internet bills have decreased by 14% to 42% on average over the past 5 years.
5G is also helping carriers reach those on the wrong side of the digital divide. Because of 5G’s wireless nature, it is more adept than fiber at reaching those in hard-to-connect regions of the country, such as the hollers of the Appalachians or the vast plains of the American West. This allows it to fill in the gaps where fiber options are untenable.
Even in 2022, we were still going strong. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel carried out the 5G FAST Plan by auctioning off more mid-band spectrum in the 2.5 gigahertz and 3.45 gigahertz bands.
But we have a problem. We’ve have no spectrum left in the pipeline. Even if we did, the FCC’s spectrum auction authority has lapsed for the first time ever.
The good news is that Congress is making progress on restoring the FCC’s auction authority.
The bad news is the legislative process is going to take some time to complete.
But there are things the FCC can do to promote 5G today.
Specifically, it can issue T-Mobile’s 7,156 spectrum licenses it purchased last year in the FCC’s 2.5 GHz auction. These licenses allow T-Mobile to access invaluable mid-band spectrum that can fuel its 5G networks and expand their reach. Better yet, T-Mobile said they can start lighting up areas as soon as the FCC issues its license. Better service from T-Mobile means: more competition in the 5G space, more folks connected, and ultimately even lower prices for consumers across the board.
So what’s the hold up?
The FCC argues that it cannot act without its auction authority. That’s a strange conclusion because the 2.5 gigahertz auction occurred before its authority expired—and T-Mobile has already paid for the licenses. And the FCC issued spectrum licenses for six decades without auction authority. Frankly, the FCC doesn’t need auction authority to issue licenses it already lawfully granted. Indeed, a bipartisan group of former FCC general counsels all agree that the lack of auction authority is not a legal barrier for the agency.
The FCC should reconsider its prior conclusion and think about other authorities it can use to get this spectrum to market. If need be, it can grant T-Mobile temporary access while seeking comment on its authority, but doing nothing is not an option. We need our leaders at the FCC to make the right calls while Congress finds more spectrum.
The fate of 5G and beyond depends on it.
Joel Thayer is president of the Digital Progress Institute and an attorney based in Washington, D.C. The Digital Progress Institute is a nonprofit seeking to bridge the policy divide between telecom and tech through bipartisan consensus. Greg Guice is director of Public Knowledge. This piece is exclusive to Broadband Breakfast.
Broadband Breakfast accepts commentary from informed observers of the broadband scene. Please send pieces to commentary@breakfast.media. The views expressed in Expert Opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the views of Broadband Breakfast and Breakfast Media LLC.
-
#broadbandlive4 weeks ago
Broadband Breakfast on September 13, 2023 – AT&T and BlackRock’s Gigapower Joint Venture
-
Broadband Roundup4 weeks ago
AT&T Launches New Fixed Wireless Service, Lawsuits Over Lead Cables, $27M for Rural South Dakota Broadband
-
Funding4 weeks ago
Do Not Overlook Other Broadband Programs, say Experts
-
Funding4 weeks ago
Precursors to BEAD Implementation: A Deep Dive Into Prior Broadband Programs
-
Community Broadband3 weeks ago
Rural Broadband Provider Touts Cooperative and Coalition-based Models
-
Artificial Intelligence4 weeks ago
U.S. Chip Export Restrictions Will be ‘Huge Roadblock’ for Chinese AI Competitiveness: Expert
-
Broadband Roundup3 weeks ago
5G Fund for Rural America, FCC Disaster Information Reporting System, US Cellular Expands 5G,
-
Funding4 weeks ago
Virginia and Louisiana Each Release BEAD Implementation Plans, Volume Two