Spectrum

U.S. Should Streamline Spectrum Allocation, Congressional Report Says

The U.S.-China Commission also said the U.S. should engage more with international standards-setting bodies.

Jake Neenan

Mar 16, 2026 — 3 min read

Photo of Eric Hundman, research director at BluePath Labs, from LinkedIn

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2026 – The United States should work to streamline its spectrum allocation process, a Congressional commission on China said in a Thursday report.

The U.S.-China Economic Security and Review Commission (USCC) said Congress should direct the Federal Communications Commission, which handles commercial spectrum, and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which manages federal spectrum, to conduct a study on the issue as a means of competing with China.

“One key advantage China’s approach to electromagnetic spectrum management has displayed in recent years is speed: It issued 5G licenses to its three primary telecommunications providers within months of the international 5G standard being finalized,” USCC wrote. “The United States moved more slowly to allocate spectrum to 5G for several reasons, including an unforeseen legal complication, an unplanned lapse in the FCC’s authority to auction frequency, and the time needed to prepare and conduct auctions.”