US Will Achieve 5G Success at WRC, O'Rielly Says; National 5G Network Won't Happen

The U.S. isn’t afraid to walk out of the ITU or cut contributions, O’Rielly said: “We’re expecting success. We’re expecting to move forward. We’re expecting to lead the process in wireless services. We’re not going to sit back.” The U.S. will “walk if necessary,” he said.

Industry officials said Monday presumptive U.S. WRC ambassador Grace Koh is starting at the State Department this week. The next key step is she must be designated to lead the U.S. delegation to the WRC and be given an ambassador title, industry officials said. While expected, those kinds of personnel moves haven't been automatic in this administration. The State Department didn't comment.

O’Rielly slammed recently resurfaced reports the federal government may build a 5G network to ensure U.S. leadership. The proposal was quickly killed a year ago (see 1801290034). Government officials said then that one problem is there's no such thing as a “5G network,” but fifth generation will come about as carriers upgrade the LTE networks already in place.

“I’ve previously had some choice words for this -- it has bubbled up again,” O’Rielly said of the 5G plan. “More specifics have come to life.” O’Rielly said the proposal always was a nonstarter. “It will be the private sector, not some government-mandated network that will take the lead,” he said. “Such a network will never occur. The idea is rotten from its core to its shell.” Carriers wouldn’t use a government 5G network “without some type of edict and I don’t think that’s coming,” O’Rielly said.

O’Rielly urged further FCC action on Telephone Consumer Protection Act rules. In 2015, O’Rielly and then-Commissioner Ajit Pai opposed an order and declaratory on implementation of TCPA rules, which they said would encourage rather than cut down on TCPA lawsuits. “We have to address the fact that there are companies that are wrongfully being sued that are trying to launch legitimate services,” O’Rielly said.

Then-Chairman Tom Wheeler once asked him to be the FCC lead on TCPA, O’Rielly said. “A couple of months later, he came back and said, ‘You know, Mike, I don’t think I want you working on TCPA anymore,’” O’Rielly said. “A couple of months later, I knew why.”

O’Rielly highlighted the 3.45-3.55 GHz band, which has been under examination at NTIA for the past year for converting to broadband (see 1802260047). NTIA was once “prepared to put it to commercial purposes,” O’Rielly said. “They’ve since changed that tune.” He predicted an auction of license spectrum in citizens broadband radio service band is unlikely before next year,

O’Rielly said he had lots of time during the federal shutdown to work on kidvid rule revision and hopes to announce a plan soon. “I’ve been able to outline a path that I’m comfortable with” and am working with Pai’s office, he said. His kidvid blog post last year was “intentionally strong,” O’Rielly said. “I was trying to get people's attention,” he said: “That’s what you do when you’re not the chairman.”

5G Contrasts

The latest on the 5G plan came out of the Trump 2020 campaign rather than the White House. As was the case last year, the 5G plan is meeting Republican opposition.

A Trump campaign spokesperson originally said last week a “5G wholesale market would drive down costs and provide access to millions of Americans who are currently underserved.” That's “is in line with President Trump’s agenda to benefit all Americans, regardless of geography,” the spokesperson said then. Trump's campaign clarified Monday the White House “sets the policy on 5G and all” other telecom policy issues. “Naturally, the campaign fully supports the President’s priorities and his policy agenda,” a spokesperson said. “There is no daylight between the White House and the campaign” on 5G policy. Brad Parscale, Trump's 2020 campaign manager, favored a federal 5G wholesale market last month in the midst of confusion over Trump's 5G policy stance (see 1902210057).

The incident appears to mainly highlight lack of coordination between Trump's campaign and administration officials, said a telecom lobbyist who follows the Trump administration and Capitol Hill Republicans. It bears striking resemblance to the administration's reaction to the leaking last year of an National Security Council draft memo that proposed 5G nationalization because of concerns China could otherwise build a network first (see 1801290034).

Commissioner Geoffrey Starks Monday tweeted that “some ideas on the table seem half-baked at best.” The U.S. “will only win the 'race to 5G' if and when the technological benefits” of the technology “reach everyone, everywhere in this country.” Chairman Ajit Pai retweeted a statement he released at the time the NSC memo was leaked, which criticized any attempt at nationalization.

“Our plan to secure U.S. leadership in 5G is working,” tweeted Commissioner Brendan Carr on Sunday. “It’s built on smart infrastructure policy, freeing up more spectrum, & allowing our private sector to invest & compete. Turning heel on this successful, free market approach through China-like nationalization is a non-starter.”

“Right now other nations are poised to win," tweeted Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. " But the remedy for this problem offered by those with close ties to the Administration -- nationalizing our 5G networks -- really misses the mark,”