5G Will Be Subject of First Senate Commerce Hearing

The Senate Commerce Committee will hold its first hearing on one of the hot-button communications issues of the day.

According to new chairman Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), that hearing will be Feb. 6, the topic: "Winning the Race to 5G and the Next Era of Technology Innovation in the United States."

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“The committee’s first hearing on 5G deployment and technology innovation will highlight an important issue not only to Mississippians, but to all Americans,” said Wicker. “Expanding broadband service and fostering innovation are top priorities of mine, and I look forward to continuing the committee’s efforts to close the digital divide in our nation and maintain U.S. leadership in 5G technology.”

The hearing immediately follows an executive session the same day at which subcommittee membership will be finalized.

Witnesses for the 5G hearing will be:

Meredith Atwell Baker, president and CEO of CTIA and former head of NTIA under President George W. Bush (NTIA is the White House's chief spectrum advisor and oversees government spectrum); Steve Berry, president, Competitive Carriers Association;
Shailen Bhatt, president, Intelligent Transportation Society of America; Michael Wessel, commissioner, U.S.-China Economic & Security Review Commission; Kim Zentz, CEO, Urbanova.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.