2025 marks the start of what’s bound to be a transformative year for all things wireless. Technological innovation and economic growth will be front and center at the White House, Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). New voices are in key positions in the House and Senate, setting the stage for critical policy debates and decisions that affect the devices we use in our daily lives. All of this while the technological landscape continues to exponentially grow.
With enhanced 5G networks, faster connections, and emerging developments in AI, the need for forward thinking wireless policies has never been greater. What’s decided today will shape our future connections and define our increasingly digital, interconnected world for years to come.
Where We’ll Start…
Spectrum
The United States is STILL in a spectrum deficit, and it’s only getting worse. Our wireless devices run on spectrum which allows our data to transfer from point to point. It’s been nearly two years since the FCC lost its auction authority in March 2023, hamstringing the ability to allocate new spectrum to keep up with skyrocketing demand. Think about it—Americans used over 100 trillion megabytes of wireless data in 2023, almost double the amount from just two years ago. Yet, we’re operating without the tools needed to unlock more spectrum, which could lead to stalled innovation and the inability to keep up in the future.
What’s more, China is accelerating its 5G-led digital transformation, in part by evaluating the use of additional mid-band spectrum. By 2027, China may have nearly 4x the amount of mid-band spectrum as the United States. If the United States does not move urgently to allocate more mid-band spectrum it will also threaten the economic and national security of the United States.
Congress must renew the FCC’s spectrum auction authority coupled with a pipeline of exclusively licensed mid-band spectrum to get back on track. Without auction authority and a pipeline of licensed spectrum for future use, the technology we rely on every day—video streaming, cellphones, and next-gen connectivity—along with future use innovation that powers AI, factories, hospitals and transportation infrastructure—are at risk.
Privacy
Despite the growing awareness of data privacy concerns and the exponential increase in personal data collection, sharing, and analysis, the United States lacks a unified federal privacy law.
Instead, the country operates under a fragmented system of state-level regulations, creating a maze of inconsistent rules that leave Americans vulnerable. This array has become increasingly problematic as emerging technologies, like artificial intelligence and smart devices, expand the scale and scope of data collection. The absence of a federal framework leaves critical gaps in protecting Americans’ sensitive information and erodes trust in how personal data is handled.
With higher stakes than ever, a cohesive federal privacy law will ensure security in an increasingly data-driven world.
Infrastructure
Wireless infrastructure is a cornerstone of modern life, ensuring connectivity for everything from emergency services to telehealth appointments. Its importance will only continue to grow as the demand for wireless rises. Unfortunately, our communities’ connectivity is being hindered by lengthy regulatory uncertainty and permitting requirements – red tape – and a significant increase in vandalism and theft of telecommunications infrastructure.
Wireless moves fast. We need government regulations to keep up. Lengthy and unpredictable permitting requirements stifle deployment. There is a need for clear and consistent state and local policies governing wireless infrastructure, including shot clocks to improve permit application approval times and flexibility to deploy the wireless technologies that make the most sense for each community.
Additionally, improving connectivity requires stronger protections to keep our infrastructure secure. The value of copper as well as telecommunications equipment and materials has led criminals to target telecommunications facilities, including wireless towers, fiber optic lines and other equipment. In 2024 alone, nearly 4,000 incidents of theft and vandalism were reported in just three months, causing outages that harm and put at risk the hundreds of millions of Americans who depend on reliable wireless services.
Lawmakers should prioritize streamlining wireless permitting and deployment and strengthen safeguards for theft and vandalism of wireless infrastructure. By acting now, we can ensure quick wireless buildout that narrows the digital divide and provides resilient wireless that continues to meet our growing needs.
It’s 2025. Mutual understanding and shared goals on spectrum, privacy, and infrastructure – to name a few – are a must. With forward thinking reforms and swift action, the United States will keep its competitive edge, propel innovative solutions, spur economic growth, and even bolster national security.
