Earlier this week, FCC Chair Ajit Pai spoke about the massive levels of investment required to deploy next generation 5G mobile service in his address at the Mobile World Congress:<\/p>\n
5G could transform the wireless world. And when you add the potential of new satellite and fixed broadband technologies, as well as further innovation in 4G LTE, we stand on the cusp of exciting advances that will bring unparalleled choice and competition to consumers. <\/p>\n
But it’s not a forgone conclusion that we will fully realize this technological potential. After all, building, maintaining, and upgrading broadband networks is expensive. And our 5G future will require a lot of infrastructure, given the “densification” of 5G networks. In my country alone, operators will have to deploy millions of small cells, and many more miles of fiber and other connections to carry all this traffic. Doing all this will command massive capital expenditures.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Chairman Pai said<\/a> that such spending is best incentivized with light-touch regulation.<\/p>\n
\n\nBuilding 5G networks will require huge capital expenditures–spending best incentivized with light-touch regulation. https:\/\/t.co\/uGtCDGtIwl<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/AxK3jyYmaV<\/a><\/p>\n
— Ajit Pai (@AjitPaiFCC) March 1, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n