Spectrum Bill Raises Questions on Equity, Wi-Fi, and Rural Reach

ARLINGTON, Va. Oct. 30, 2025 — Congress’s new 800-megahertz auction mandate drew warnings that Wi-Fi networks in schools, libraries and tribal areas could lose critical spectrum to commercial carriers.

The discussion took place at the AnchorNets 2025 Conference, hosted by the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition, and highlighted how Congress’s push for new commercial spectrum could disrupt Wi-Fi and community networks. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act required federal agencies to identify 800 megahertz of spectrum for auction within ten years, an unprecedented target that sparked concerns over the fate of unlicensed and shared bands.

Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Project at New America, a policy initiative focused on spectrum management and shared wireless access, said the law could pressure regulators to reclaim frequencies already used for Wi-Fi and the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS). He urged schools, libraries, and municipalities to “be the squeaky wheel” as agencies began reallocations, and said both Wi-Fi 6E and CBRS remained vulnerable despite bipartisan letters that urged not to auction those bands.

Calling spectrum “a natural resource” and “a critical part of tribal infrastructure,” Joe Valandra, CEO of Tribal Ready, said many tribes were still activating the 2.5 GigaHertz (GHz) licenses granted under a 2020 FCC program, and used them to extend connectivity where pulling fiber was prohibitively expensive. Tribal Ready is a Native-owned broadband infrastructure firm that partners with Tribal governments to plan, finance, and deploy internet networks in underserved communities.

“You can’t have economic development or education without connectivity,” he told attendees.

On the education front, Robert Eubanks, networking practice manager at Nexsan, a California-based data-storage and networking company, said Wi-Fi demand in Texas schools had risen sharply as districts expanded digital and AI-based instruction. He noted that many systems were upgrading to Wi-Fi 7 and using the 6 GHz band to handle growing device loads. Eubanks warned that reducing unlicensed spectrum would strain classroom connectivity and limit schools’ ability to support digital instruction.

Calabrese added that low-Earth-orbit satellites were helping close rural coverage gaps but remained a complement, not a substitute, for terrestrial networks. He noted that states varied widely in their reliance on LEO service versus fiber builds, with states such as Ohio and Oregon leaning more heavily on satellite connectivity, while states such as Arizona and Vermont continue prioritizing fiber deployment.