Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo emphasizes the paramount importance of America maintaining an edge in advanced technologies, particularly in the realms of wireless communications and missile defense, to safeguard national security and economic prosperity.
As a former Secretary of State, I witnessed firsthand the transformative power of technology in shaping global events. Today, I am deeply concerned about the potential consequences of failing to prioritize our nation's technological capabilities, especially in the face of emerging threats.
During my time patrolling the Iron Curtain in the 1980s, I recognized the profound significance of American leadership in fostering strong alliances and projecting moral authority. However, I also realized that our security ultimately depended on maintaining an advantage in advanced technologies.
Maintaining America's Edge in Advanced Technologies: A Critical National Security Imperative
Indeed, the battlefield edge we possessed was not solely in terms of manpower but also in the superior tools and lethal capabilities employed by our fighting force. Cutting-edge wireless technologies played a pivotal role in reconnaissance, radar, and communications, providing essential information on rapidly evolving threats.
Four decades later, the importance of wireless technologies to our national security has only amplified. They are indispensable in missile defense, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems, which hinge upon access to specific spectrum bands by our military.
Maintaining America's Edge in Advanced Technologies: A Critical National Security Imperative
Currently, Congress is grappling with a momentous decision regarding the future allocation of these crucial spectrum bands. The choices made will have far-reaching implications for our national security and economic well-being.
One proposal under consideration would cede exclusive control of these critical bands to private firms, effectively sidelining the Pentagon and its vital missions. This would be a grave mistake that would gravely jeopardize American national security.
Maintaining America's Edge in Advanced Technologies: A Critical National Security Imperative
General Anthony Cotton, Commander of U.S. Strategic Command, has testified before Congress that such a move would compromise his ability to execute, exercise, and deploy military forces. Vast amounts of military equipment, from radar systems to weapons platforms, have been meticulously developed and optimized to align with the specific spectrum bands in question.
Altering this would entail enormous investments in the design and production of new equipment, a process that the Pentagon estimates would take decades and cost hundreds of billions of dollars. This would be a reckless gamble even in times of peace. In an increasingly dangerous world, it would hand our adversaries an unnecessary victory and diminish our security.
Maintaining America's Edge in Advanced Technologies: A Critical National Security Imperative
Moreover, granting exclusive control over these bands to private entities poses another threat: it stifles competition and creates a fertile ground for companies like Huawei and ZTE, proxies of the Chinese Communist Party, to expand their dominance in global wireless hardware manufacturing.
I have previously cautioned our European allies about this very issue, and as technology evolves, the urgency of this threat intensifies. The United States must lead the fight against Huawei's relentless pursuit of cellular hegemony by providing the world with a superior model, one that is more democratic and less susceptible to coercion.
Maintaining America's Edge in Advanced Technologies: A Critical National Security Imperative
As a former member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, I fully appreciate our nation's growing demand for telecommunications services. Therefore, we must strike a delicate balance between safeguarding the military's access to essential spectrum bands and fueling our economic growth and prosperity.
A solution can be found in "dynamic spectrum sharing," which would allow multiple entities to access and use the same radio frequencies. Proven sharing models, such as the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS), have demonstrated that commercial and government users can coexist on the same spectrum without interference. For example, the U.S. Navy successfully utilizes CBRS bands for mission-critical offshore radar operations.
Maintaining America's Edge in Advanced Technologies: A Critical National Security Imperative
In addition to safeguarding our security, dynamic spectrum sharing can also generate significant economic benefits. A recent study by the Brattle Group revealed that it can create billions in net private value, while forcing the military to relocate would incur tens of billions of dollars in taxpayer costs.
Shared licensing democratizes spectrum access, making it available to diverse users, from factories and ports to rural internet providers, utilities, and schools. This is crucial for unlocking America's economic potential. Companies like Ericsson USA are already harnessing shared spectrum to optimize smart factories and manufacture communications equipment within the United States. In my home state of Kansas, shared spectrum is driving advances in precision agriculture.
The Biden administration had an opportunity to implement this shared framework last year, but they squandered it. Predictably, they have shown no inclination to address this issue, with their National Spectrum Strategy merely urging for more research. This is not leadership.
Congress must assume the mantle of leadership and find a solution that accommodates the needs of both consumers and our military. Spectrum sharing offers a viable path forward.
America's future depends on maintaining our edge in advanced technologies. By preserving our military's access to critical spectrum bands and embracing dynamic spectrum sharing, we can ensure both our national security and economic prosperity. Let us not cede our technological leadership and allow our adversaries to gain an advantage. The time for decisive action is now.
