New Bill Would Free Up More Mid-Band Spectrum for Wireless Broadband

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

Members of Congress introduced a bill to free up more spectrum for wireless broadband use. If passed, the Spectrum Innovation Act of 2022 would mean faster speeds and more responsive networks for consumers, according to sponsors. In addition to up to 200 MHz of spectrum auctioned for mobile broadband, this bill will help usher in new, innovative, and flexible spectrum uses. That’s according to bill sponsors, Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and John Thune (R-SD) and U.S. Representatives Mike Doyle (D-PA) and Bob Latta (R-OH). “The federal government must leverage every tool at its disposal to ensure every American has a reliable internet connection, and that’s exactly what this bill does,” said Luján, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband. His Senate colleague Thune, who is Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband, said the bill builds on the work of his Mobile Now Act, which became law in 2018, by freeing up much-needed mid-band spectrum. Continue Reading