Coalition Welcomes New Member Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, Bringing Membership to 35

As demand grows for more mid-band spectrum, momentum behind the 5G for 12 GHz Coalition and its efforts to open up the 12 GHz band for 5G strengthen with broad breadth and depth of supporters.

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 22, 2022 – The 5G for 12 GHz Coalition is announcing today the addition of the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society – one of the most respected voices in shaping communications policy. With the support of the Benton Institute – a nonprofit organization founded with the objective to “bring open, affordable, high-performance broadband to all people in the U.S. to ensure a thriving democracy” – the Coalition’s calls for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to open up the 12 GHz spectrum band for two-way terrestrial and 5G mobile services is gaining strength from a wide array of policy thought leaders, public interest groups, service providers large and small, and more.

Executive Director of the Benton Institute, Adrianne B. Furniss, expressed her eagerness to work with the Coalition.

“Benton enthusiastically joins the call for the FCC to allow airwaves currently reserved for satellites also to be deployed for simultaneous reuse on the ground,” Furniss said.

“The engineering work has been completed, so as soon as the FCC gives the green light, wireless companies can immediately begin to make use of this spectrum for bringing new and competitive 5G service to more people. Americans rely on a continuum of connectivity at home and on the move throughout their day. Efficient use of spectrum is critical to meeting our mobile connectivity needs.

“Benton’s belief that communications policy, when informed by the values of access, equity, and diversity, has the power to strengthen communities across America aligns with the Coalition’s efforts to put limited spectrum resources to their best and highest use for the public benefit.”

The Coalition urges the FCC to rely on the substantial engineering, economic, and technical data submitted into the record to inform its decision to unleash an additional 500 MHz of available capacity in the 12 GHz band for terrestrial two-way 5G services. Chip Pickering, Coalition Co-Chair, and INCOMPAS CEO, welcomed the new member and reaffirmed their shared purpose.

“We are proud to have Benton join the Coalition, marking another important milestone that exemplifies the Coalition’s growing depth and breadth of support across industries, perspectives, and ideology,” Pickering said.

“This highly esteemed group of communications experts understands the importance of our mission to ensure critical spectrum resources like 12 GHz are serving the American people through accelerating 5G, solidifying global leadership, boosting competition, and closing the digital divide. The data is clear and the record is complete. The FCC can and should act on the science which demonstrates that co-existence in the band is feasible and can bring immense economic benefits at a time when we need it most. Demand for spectrum and 5G have only grown since this proceeding opened.

“With Benton’s support, we will continue to work with the FCC in advancing this proceeding and achieving our shared, bipartisan goals for American families and enterprise.”

The Coalition calls on the FCC to act on its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (Expanding Flexible Use of the 12.2-12.7 GHz Band, et al., WT Docket No. 20-443, et al) to allow the 12 GHz band to unlock the power of 5G for all Americans.

For more information, visit 5Gfor12GHZ.com and learn why the 12 GHz band is the best option for opening more mid-band spectrum here.

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