Carr Statement on Biden Administration’s Failure of Leadership on 5G 
      White House Walks Back Biden-Brokered Infrastructure Deal After Just Two Weeks 
                                         
 WASHINGTON, DC, January 18, 2022—FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr issued the following 
statement in response to President Biden’s decision to announce an indefinite delay of 5G service over C-
 Band spectrum in certain parts of the country.  The White House statement comes just two weeks after 
 President Biden announced that his Administration brokered a deal that would allow for the rapid 
deployment of 5G.  Back then, Commissioner Carr released a letter highlighting the negative 
consequences that would flow from the Administration’s dysfunctional approach, and its failure to make 
 infrastructure decisions based on science, engineering, and real-world experience. 
  
 “Nearly two years ago, the FCC—the expert agency charged by Congress with regulating wireless 
 carriers’ transmissions—authorized C-Band operations pursuant to a detailed, 258-page regulatory 
 decision.  The FCC’s order adopted comprehensive rules that safeguard aeronautical services from any 
 harmful interference.  It was a decision based on sound engineering, good process, and real-world 
 experience, including the fact that C-Band operations are live in nearly 40 countries today without any 
 negative impacts on aviation.  And it was part of a broader set of smart policies that positioned the United 
 States to lead the world in 5G. 
  
 “Starting late last year, the Biden Administration chose to upend that settled decision and replace it with a 
 chaotic and haphazard process.  After securing a needless one-month delay, President Biden announced in 
early January that he had struck a deal that would allow the wireless carriers to light up their C-Band 
spectrum in short order.  Flash forward just two weeks, and the White House is now walking away from 
that Biden-brokered deal. 
  
 “This is a clear failure of leadership.  At any point in time, the White House could have stood up and 
 sided with the science.  They didn’t.  And the silence by so many in leadership only paved the way for a 
 misinformation campaign timed to maximize the chances that Administration officials would cave once 
 again.  And they did. 
  
 “This is a setback for U.S. leadership in 5G.  Indeed, the negative consequences that flow from this type 
 of dysfunctional process are not limited to the facts of this case.  It is going to make it even harder for the 
 U.S. to reach and stick with sound spectrum decisions going forward.  This is a bad deal.” 
 
                                      ### 
 
  Office of Commissioner Brendan Carr         Media Contact:  Greg Watson 
www.fcc.gov/about/leadership/brendan-carr (202) 418-0658 or greg.watson@fcc.gov