WASHINGTON, D.C.—Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-Palo Alto), Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, released the following statement today after the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) issued a new report titled, “Realizing the Full Potential of Government-Held Spectrum to Spur Economic Growth.” The development of the report brought together experts from industry, academia, and government and offers several key recommendations, including proposing the first ever shared-use spectrum superhighway between Federal agencies and the private sector.

“As demand for wireless broadband continues to grow, we must think outside the box and embrace policies that maximize the scarce resource known as spectrum,” Rep. Eshoo said. “The release of PCAST’s report on government-held spectrum is forward-thinking and provides policymakers with a framework that embraces spectrum sharing, incentivizes Federal agency buy-in, builds on existing technologies, and proposes a new hierarchy for how spectrum is used.”

“While the report offers many long-term recommendations, I’m excited by the potential for more immediate action to expand the availability of wireless broadband. By identifying the 3550-3650 MHz band under its ‘Fast Track’ review, NTIA and other federal agencies have already taken the first steps to enable more capacity and innovation. I hope the agencies will work as quickly as possible to make sure this spectrum is available to all Americans.”

“With these recommendations, we have an opportunity to more efficiently use spectrum as well as spur economic growth, job creation, and new innovation. Adoption of these recommendations should be a national priority.”

The full text of the report can be found here.

###