On Friday, President Trump welcomed the chair of the Senate Republican Committee after reaching an agreement with Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) during a government-owned spectrum auction.
Rounds and Fischer had reservations about Trump's “big, beautiful bill,” fearing that federal spectrum sales to the private sector would deprive the Pentagon of essential bandwidth used for radar.
Trump commended GOP senators for settling their differences on the matter.
“Congratulations to the chairman of the Senate Commerce and Science Committee, Tom Cotton, as well as the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Republican Conference, for the incredible contract established last night,” Trump shared on The Society of Truth.
“This is a significant step towards establishing America as the 6G leader,” he stated, referencing the next generation of broadband infrastructure. “We have the largest network in the world, ensuring the highest level of national security for future generations of Americans.”
Sources close to the agreement reported that Rounds and Fischer secured their priorities within the bill’s language.
In a separate statement, Rounds and Fischer noted that further refinement of the legislative text is necessary.
This agreement maintains the usage of the “lower 3” bands (3.1-3.45 GHz and 7.4-8.4 GHz) for the Department of Defense, exempting them from general auction authorities and spectral pipelines.
The wireless industry has seen its recovery attributed to auction authorities.
Rounds emphasized on Friday his appreciation for the new national security protections and his commitment to aligning the broader bill with “contract intent.”
“I am thankful for national security protections, and we are actively working on adjustments to ensure they reflect the spirit and intentions of our agreement. Negotiations are still ongoing, and we look forward to safeguarding national security while enhancing capabilities essential for building President Trump’s Golden Dome, as well as advancing 5G,” Rounds stated.
In her statement, Fischer emphasized the need for further work to align the legislative text with the “consensus on principles” established.
“As it stands, the current legislative text does not accurately reflect the contract that was discussed, and we are continuing to seek additional modifications to fully implement that agreement,” she remarked.
Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), who is the ranking member of the Commerce Committee, criticized her Republican counterparts for being “quick to sell spectrum” and for not adequately addressing what she termed “essential safety upgrades.”
Cantwell cautioned in her budget adjustment package that Republican provisions would undermine coordination between the Federal Aviation Administration and wireless providers like Verizon and AT&T, hindering spectrum sales necessary for aerial safety applications.
“At a time when maintaining safe skies is increasingly difficult, the proposal recklessly endangers national security and aviation safety by pressing for a C-band spectrum auction before new altimeter standards are established, without providing funds to the already capacity-constrained FAA or updating vulnerable altimeters used by DOD and government aircraft,” she said.
“By hastily selling the spectrum without securing funding for critical safety upgrades, I fear we may repeat the mistakes of the 5G C-band debacle, this time jeopardizing our military,” she added.
On Friday, Trump accused Biden of failing to strike a spectrum auction deal during his administration.
“Biden did nothing on the spectrum for four years, but thanks to the ‘big beautiful bill,’ my administration will surpass all expectations and drive the world forward!” he posted.
Updated at 9:24pm
Source: thehill.com