The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is about to make a decision that could disrupt internet connectivity for hundreds of thousands of rural Americans. While the Biden administration is rolling out billions of dollars to bring rural parts of the country online, the FCC is weighing whether to allow 5G in a band of spectrum that is critical for satellite broadband.
Internet service providers like SpaceX rely on the 12 GHz band of spectrum. That orbital service allows even the most remote areas of the country access to the internet, where traditional fiber or cable connections are not readily available.
SpaceX is ringing the alarm bells because a group of companies led by Dish Network is lobbying the FCC to permit 5G wireless use in the band. That would result in the loss of service for approximately 98 percent of SpaceX’s Starlink customers.
This is not the first time Dish has attempted to game the FCC. In 2015, the FCC held an auction for the AWS band of spectrum. Dish created a network of shell companies to exploit an FCC loophole and scam over $3 billion from U.S. taxpayers. The New York Times said at the time that “Dish’s strategy for the spectrum auction comes across as the most brazen, least civic-minded act by a corporation in years.” The FCC fined Dish over $500 million and forced them to relinquish their spectrum licenses as a result of this unethical behavior.
Dish is desperately trying to enter the 5G market. After years of hoarding spectrum, it launched a new 5G wireless service called “Project Genesis” with mixed results. This new network has to cover 70 percent of the population by next year or face more fines from the FCC.
There is just one problem: The 12 GHz band of spectrum is not feasible for 5G use. A 5G network like Dish’s would cause significant interference on the satellite technology that is also operating in the band. The record at the FCC clearly reflects studies that show significant interference for satellite broadband operators and their customers.
As millions of dollars have been spent to deploy broadband internet to the most remote parts of our country, rural communities have been crying for help to bridge the digital divide. Today, one in four rural Americans still doesn’t have a reliable broadband connection.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed last year authorized the largest investment in rural connectivity to date, with $65 billion dedicated to connecting unserved communities. In May, the National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA) released the guidelines for states to begin designing programs that will bring all Americans online. All technologies – from traditional cable and fiber to fixed wireless and satellite broadband – are part of the effort to achieve this historic goal.
Amid this drive to connect all Americans, the FCC should listen to rural communities that are speaking out about the technology they rely on for internet use. Over 100,000 Starlink customers have written to the FCC to let the commission know how important this broadband connection is.
There is widespread opposition to repurposing the 12 GHz across a broad coalition of groups. Native American tribes, local groups, school districts, educational associations, small business groups, and others have all submitted comments to the FCC asking that they not interfere with the internet connectivity that is essential to their daily lives. Just this month, K-12 students living in the Navajo Nation with limited or no access to the internet were finally brought online thanks to satellite broadband technology.
The FCC’s focus should focus on connecting all Americans online. In the National Grange’s 150-year history, we have always supported connecting rural Americans, whether it was through train lines, telephone lines, or the internet. Now isn’t the time to risk the connectivity some have on an unproven, untested technology. We cannot afford to waste this historic opportunity to finally get rural America online.