Spectrum Allocations and Twenty-First-Century National Security

James Andrew Lewis

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The weapons of the twentieth century are not as important as they once were for national security. The United States is in a global competition with China over markets, rule setting, and technological leadership. Networks and telecommunications, particularly wireless telecom like 5G, are essential tools in this competition, but current U.S. spectrum allocations are not optimized for the contest the United States is in now. Changing this requires rethinking national security to emphasize technological leadership and the ability to innovate, something the current administration has done well, except in spectrum. The United States is falling behind. To remain competitive, the United States will need to adjust how it has allocated radio spectrum to emphasize commercial innovation. The government-centric spectrum allocations of the last century will need to change if we are not to fall behind.

The spectrum issue is not about mobile phones and consumers. It is about the enterprise uses mobility will create in factories, hospitals, and businesses writ large. Earlier CSIS reports explain the value and use of spectrum. Spectrum-using technologies are crucial for the next phase of innovation and economic growth, but the United States is so preoccupied with its domestic battles over spectrum that it has lost sight of the larger contest over who will build the global infrastructures for the digital economy. If the current trend continues, China will be the builder of this century’s digital infrastructure.