Senator Ted Cruz, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, addressed the Spectrum Policy Symposium organized by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday. In his remarks, he highlighted the national security and economic benefits associated with his spectrum pipeline legislation, which was included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).
The OBBBA law makes 800 megahertz of spectrum available for commercial use over the next ten years. According to Cruz, this is expected to generate about $85 billion for taxpayers and expand access to faster and more affordable internet services while supporting productivity and economic growth.
Cruz raised concerns about an amendment in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026 that could affect how spectrum is managed. The provision would give military generals veto authority over decisions related to spectrum allocation—powers that have traditionally been held by Senate-confirmed civilian officials. The Trump administration opposes this measure.
During his speech, Cruz said:
“Good morning and thank you to NTIA for inviting me to speak at this year’s Spectrum Policy Symposium.
“I’d like to begin by once again congratulating NTIA’s new administrator and my former telecommunications policy lead on the Senate Commerce Committee, Arielle Roth. Arielle, or should I say Administrator Roth, congratulations; it’s always great to see you. I’m excited about the future of NTIA under your tenure, and I know that you and your team will do great things.
“I’m very pleased to be here today to talk about spectrum, a topic that has been front of mind for all of us this year. As you know, my spectrum pipeline was signed into law in July as part of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, freeing up 800 megahertz of spectrum for commercial use over the next decade.
“While the pipeline may be only a few pages in a larger bill, its brevity is deceptive. Its inclusion was the result of countless hours of work by me, my team, and administration officials, with many long days and late nights. Throughout, there were critics at every turn saying it was impossible. A compromise on spectrum was too hard and we’d never be able to do it.
“And in fairness, Congress had been trying—unsuccessfully—for years to get any sort of spectrum legislation passed. But this time, with President Trump’s leadership and a new Congress, I’m proud to say we got the job done. Arielle was a key player in this historic policy win, and no doubt she has her own war stories to tell.
“Today, I want to start by talking about the oversized impact the spectrum pipeline will have. As Arielle said in her keynote, history shows how transformative it can be when we get spectrum policy right. The technologies and innovations built in prior generations of wireless—3, 4, and 5G—have been incredible, and I don’t think it is an overstatement to say thanks to our spectrum pipeline, this next iteration will have generational impacts.
“Now as part of the 800 MHz pipeline, NTIA is required to identify 500 MHz of government spectrum for future commercial use. Given the fact that the federal government is currently the largest holder of mid-band spectrum, this is a huge win for spectrum efficiency and innovation. Of course, government spectrum holders also stand to win big here, as they too rely on wireless innovations that could only be delivered by private industry.
“Recognizing that reality—that government must work hand-in-hand with America’s private innovators—was a major force that helped push the spectrum pipeline across the finish line.
“Within its 10-year span,I predictthe spectrumpipeline,and particularlythe transitionof500MHzofspectrumfromgovernmenttocommercialuse,wil lopen t h e d o o r t o technologies t h a t s e e m l i k e science fiction today.We sawasmal l previewoftheseinnovationsattheCommittee’ sspectrumhearingearlierthisyear .
“There are extraordinary conceptsandtechnologiesindevelopment,andthespectrumpipelineputsusonthepathtomakingthemareality.Itisnowuptoyou,thefinefolksatNTIA,tohelpleadusdow nthatpath,andIknowyouwillmaketheAmericanpeopleproud .
“In additionto500MHzofgovernmentspectrum,thepipelinerequiresthatanadditional300megahertzofotherspectrumbeidentifiedandauctionedforcommercialuse.TheFCC ,withitsspectrumauctionauthoritynowfinallyrestored ,hasalreadybeguntheprocesstoauctionatleast100megahert z intheupperC-band ,withChairmanCarralreadyengagingwithstakeholdersintheband ,layingthegroundworkforthecommunicationandcoordinationrequiredforaquick,succ essfulauction .
“We all rememberthelowerC-bandauctionfromafewyearsagothatraisedover80billiondollarsforthetaxpayer,andIamlookingforwardtoseeingthekindsofrecordssetbythisnextauction.TheFCCwillauctio natleastanother200megahertzin duecourse .
“Zoomingbackout,Ijustwanttoreiteratewhatatremendousachievementsecuringthespectrumpipelinewasandwhata booni twillbeforyearstocome.Dedicating800megahertzforcommercialusewillraisebillionsofdollarsforthetaxpayer ,stimulatebillionsmoreinprivatesectorinvestment ,createtensofthousandsofhigh-payingjobs,andlaythefoundationforcountlesstechnologicalinnovations.Thesebenefitswillbefeltnationwide,andindeedworldwide ,acrossmultiplegenerationsofAmericans .
“ThepipelinewillalsobeabigboosttoAmerica’snationalsecurity.WeareinthemidstofaracewithcommunistChinaonmultiplefrontsfromspaceexplorationtohightechinnovation,andifwefailtoleadtheworldin5Gand6G,itwillbeHuaweithatcreatesthebackboneoftomorrow’sglobalcommunicationsnetworks,n otAmerica .
“Downstreamofthisarecriticaladjacentindustrieslikeartificialintelligence ,quantum,andsemi-conductors.Thespectrumpipeline—thelargestinAmericanhistory —ensuresthatAmericadoesnotgodownthatdarkpath .
“Finally,Iwanttoclosebytalkingabouttheworkthatstillneedstobedonetoimplementthelaw ,particularlyindefendingandpreservingwhatwasahard-wondeal .
The final languageinOneBigBeautifulBillActwastheproductoftoughnegotiationsthattookplaceoverthecourseofmanymonths .Whilenoonegoteverythingtheywanted,wecametoafairagreementthatpromoteswirelessinnovationwhilesimultaneouslyprotectingnationalsecurity.Tothatend:PresidentTrumpsignedthepipelineintolawonIndependenceDay.Unfortunatelythough,noteventhreemonthslaterwesawtheusualsuspectstrya ndunderminethisdeal.
“Asyouknow,everyyearCongresstakesuptheNationalDefenseAuthorizationAct–otherwiseknownastheNDAA.Everyyearthis‘mustpass’legislationisaprimetargetforlegislativeshenanigans,andthisyearhasbeennoexception.
“TuckedintotheSenate’sNDAAisSection1564whichgivestheJointChiefsavetooveranymodificationstothelower3GHzand7-8GHzbands.Tobeclear,thisisnotconsultationorcollaborationonspectrummanagementwhichaswesaidonthelower3GHzpreviouslyhasitsownsetofverysubstantialandveryrealproblems.
“No,thisisaveto.Ifthisbecamelaw,itwouldbeafurtherupendingofthenation’ sspectrumpolicy,jettisoningSenate-confirmedcivilianmanagementinfavorofmarchingordersfromthedefense-industrialcomplex.What’ smore,thelanguageinSection1564doesn’tjustgivetheJointChiefsavetooverdefense-relateditems;itgivesthemavetooveranymodificationinthesebands.
“Practicallyspeaking,thismeansNTIAwouldnotevenbeabletomoveotherfederaloperationstothesebandswhichitwillhavetodotoclearspectrumforthepipelineunlessfirstreceivingtheimprimaturofthesovereignsattheJointChiefs.
“Andforwhat?Thisspectrum—the lower3GHzand7-8GHzbands—wasalreadycarvedoutforDoDinmypipelinebill.TheFCCcan’ttouchit.Now,I’mnotafanofcarve-outs;Ididnotwantanyspectrumcarve-outs.But–giveandtake…that’showdealsgetdone.Andatthetime,D oDinterestsdeclaredthatthepipelineprotectedradarandotherDefensesystems.Butasissooftenthecaseunfortunately,theusualsuspectswantyetanotherbiteattheappl e .
“Notonlyisthisbadpolicy,itisisalso badfaith.Innegotiationsoverthespectrumpipeline,weneveragreedtogiveDoDvetopoweroverspectrumauctionsortosidelineNTIAasthefederalspectrummanagementauthority,norwouldwe.Fortunately,theWhiteHousea ndPresidentTrumpagree.Yesterday,onSeptember9,theWhiteHousereleasedaStatementofAdministrativepolicyunequivocallyopposingSection1564.
“Whilethereisstllworktodotoremovethelanguagefromthebill,Iamhopefulthatwiththisclarityandleadershipfromt heAdministrationwewillhaveafavorableresolutiononthisissue.Itisaremindertoallofusthoughthatweneedtobevigilantas
thel awisim plemented .
“I’dencourageallofyouwho careabout thistopressyourlegislatorstoremovethisinsidiouspowergrabbytheunelectedandunaccountablegeneralsinthemilitary-industrialcomplex.
“I’mexcitedforwhatisahead.Thespectrumpipelineandauctionauthorityrenewalwerehugevictorieswhichmanyfolksinthisroomfoughtt oot handnailtosecure,andweshouldallbeproudofthatsuccess.TheGoldenAgeoft elecomisjustgettingstartedandi can’twaittoseewhatcomesnext .Thankyou.”
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act requires NTIA to identify 500 MHz from government-held mid-band frequencies for future commercial use while also auctioning another 300 MHz from other sources through FCC processes now underway after restoration of its auction authority—a process similar in scale but larger than previous C-band auctions which raised significant revenue for taxpayers.
Cruz argued these steps are necessary not just economically but also strategically as competition grows globally around wireless technology standards such as 5G/6G networks—a field where U.S.-China rivalry remains intense—and industries like artificial intelligence or semiconductors depend heavily on communications infrastructure development.
He urged stakeholders concerned about Section 1564's potential impact on civilian oversight within federal communications management systems—including those involved at NTIA—to contact legislators regarding removal or revision before NDAA passage.
