Gomez: ‘Without Auction Authority, We Are Losing Talent and Leadership’

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2024 – The absence of spectrum auctions has taken a toll on the nation’s top telecom regulator, leading to a loss of talent, diminishing expertise, and weakening the U.S.'s global standing, according to a top U.S. regulator.

In remarks to the Americas Spectrum Management Conference on Tuesday, Commissioner Anna Gomez of the Federal Communications Commission, issued an urgent call for Congress to restore the agency’s authority to conduct spectrum auctions. 

Gomez stressed the negative impact of the ongoing lapse in auction authority, which expired in March 2023. She emphasized it has hindered talent retention, led to an atrophy in agency expertise, and a loss of global credibility as countries move forward with their own spectrum auctions.