In a district like mine that gives new meaning to the word “rural," coverage gaps engulf huge areas of the map, in places with as few as one person for every square mile. For Americans in some of these areas, who have been awaiting the promise of broadband for far too long, with the connectivity, educational and economic empowerment it brings, any news on this front is cause for great celebration.
So we have been appreciative of T-Mobile’s rapid build out efforts in Central Oregon as a result of its newly acquired 600 MHz licenses. With this Committee’s bipartisan work last year to keep the repack on track with an additional $1 billion dollars for reimbursement of broadcasters’ moving expenses, more and more districts are realizing the benefits of the groundbreaking incentive auction that we made possible. The hope is finally becoming a reality in these areas. And I think it’s well worth noting T-Mobile’s efforts so far in delivering on its promises, in some cases ahead of schedule.
Turning to the particular transaction at issue today, experts including some of our witnesses here are painting some very different pictures of its potential effects. Going forward, we want to see consumers paying less for more data. We want to see more choices and intensified competition in the wireless and in-home broadband markets. We want to see faster rural deployment and better service. And we need America to lead in the global race to 5G, reaping economic benefits and transformative services for all Americans.
As we consider the testimony of these witnesses, we need to take a holistic view, instead of focusing on a particular metric - like those who insist that the government must intervene to preserve four nationwide wireless operators at all costs. We have to consider scale and operational efficiencies in that equation, and the rapidly changing characteristics of the wireless marketplace, especially the convergence of functionality with nontraditional competitors such as cable and satellite operators. With almost 50 percent of digital video now consumed on smartphones, wireless service is not what it once was, and with the advent of 5G the capabilities are evolving at an exponential pace. So it’s important for legislators to adjust our expectations to this reality and resist the call for artificial market constraints that may not make any sense in a 5G world.
I look forward to hearing the perspectives of each of our witnesses as we consider the current state of the marketplace overall and how best to reach the objective so important to us all - the world’s fastest and best 5G ecosystem, secure, affordable and accessible to every American.
