Trump gave America a Wi-Fi advantage

OPINION:

One of President Trump’s greatest achievements is increasingly in danger. America’s ability to compete with China hangs in the balance.

Six years ago, in the waning days of Mr. Trump’s first administration, the Federal Communications Commission gave the United States the chance to dominate one of the most important industries in the 21st century: It opened up new “spectrum” for unlicensed use by American innovators.

Spectrum refers to the radio waves that enable things like Wi-Fi, and U.S. companies have seized this opportunity. Since 2020, the private sector has driven enormous leaps in Wi-Fi technology, improving life at home and enabling the manufacture of advanced technology for export abroad.

Today, manufacturers are shipping more than 1 billion Wi-Fi devices worldwide annually. The list includes phones, laptops, routers and a smorgasbord of other devices on which Americans rely daily.

As artificial intelligence becomes more powerful and popular, Wi-Fi devices will enable its widespread use too. Americans will benefit from AI-driven tools instantly zipping information across Wi-Fi networks, while American companies will export even more technology worldwide.

Simply put, Mr. Trump’s first administration gave the U.S. an enormous technological advantage, supporting a better quality of life and well-paying jobs that keep America in the lead.

Yet all this progress is now at risk.

The Chinese government strongly prefers that the spectrum be reserved for licensed use by government-approved companies only. This approach reflects a command-and-control economic philosophy that would directly benefit Chinese state-owned enterprises.

Beijing manufactures competing technology, especially in the cellular industry, that it would rather export. China wants dominance.

Since 2020, China has pushed countries around the world to adopt its preferred approach and abandon or reject the U.S. approach. Some countries have agreed, and others may do so in the near future.

That leaves America with a smaller market for Wi-Fi technology exports, hurting U.S. workers and competitiveness.

Most disturbingly, some groups in the U.S. want the FCC to reverse or water down its 2020 decision. They see the same opportunity as China: a chance to make different technologies for export.

Yet reallocating spectrum from unlicensed to licensed use would jeopardize the billions of dollars that U.S. manufacturers have already invested, leading to job losses and lower wages. It would also slow the pace of innovation, as there would be less spectrum for U.S. companies to use without government permission.

Any change would tilt the playing field away from America and toward China. Chinese state-owned enterprises would supplant U.S. companies as the global leaders in this technological race. More countries would adopt the Chinese model and buy Chinese-made devices.

The Trump administration has said it will defend the U.S. advantage in Wi-Fi technology, but it will need to stand strong as domestic and international pressure grows. The pressure will be most intense over the next year, in the buildup to the 2027 World Radiocommunication Conference in Shanghai.

The U.S. must keep resisting Chinese attempts, especially on home turf, to persuade other countries to adopt its approach. Standing strong will benefit our job creators and consumers for generations to come.

America has built a dominant lead precisely by taking advantage of one of its greatest national strengths. Wi-Fi does not require Americans to wait for a new cell tower to be built or depend on whether a wireless carrier deems a neighborhood, business or community economically viable enough to serve with the latest technology.

With unlicensed spectrum, no one needs to ask permission to use it. A family, small business, school, manufacturer or startup can put the technology to work wherever it is needed.

That freedom is also a powerful engine for American innovation. Innovators can do what they do best, continually finding new and better ways to improve Americans’ lives. That approach already turned earlier generations of Wi-Fi into a platform for smartphones, streaming television and smart-home devices.

Now the U.S. approach empowers startups developing robots, wearable-device makers and AI innovators to build their products, take them to market and create jobs and wealth for Americans.

Mr. Trump was right to bet on unlicensed spectrum six years ago. His administration is even more justified in backing that bet six years later, because it is backing America’s continued economic success and global technological leadership.

Instead of turning back the clock, the U.S. should be moving forward by making even more spectrum available for unlicensed use, especially as AI takes flight. Now is the time to defend — and extend — America’s advantage.

• Cory Gardner is president and CEO of NCTA — The Internet & Television Association.