MATSUI, JOHNSON REINTRODUCE FUTURE NETWORKS ACT

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, and Congressman Bill Johnson (R-OH) reintroduced the Future Uses of Technology Upholding Reliable and Enhanced (FUTURE) Networks Act, legislation that directs the FCC to bring together industry leaders, public interest groups and government experts to establish a 6G Task Force.

“For the United States to stay ahead of the rest of the world in wireless communications technology, we need to look ahead and convene our best and brightest innovators to map the road ahead,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “The economic and national security stakes in the global race to 6G couldn’t be higher. That’s why we must take steps now to prepare as this technology evolves. The FUTURE Networks Act lays an important foundation for us to build on for the future deployment of next generation 6G networks.”

“We must continue to strengthen our telecommunications networks to better protect Americans from cyberattacks, improve wireless security, and address privacy concerns. The FUTURE Networks Act will promote innovation within the telecommunications sector by establishing a 6G task force,” said Rep. Johnson. “If enacted, the 6G task force will consist of trusted stakeholders within the communications industry, academic intuitions, public interest organizations, and federal, state, and local government officials. I look forward to working with Rep. Doris Matsui to get this important bipartisan legislation across the finish line.”

Specifically, the FUTURE Networks Act would:

• Require the FCC to establish a 6G Task Force comprised of industry, government, and public interest representatives to issue a report on:
  • The role of standards setting bodies in 6G
  • Possible use cases for 6G technology
  • Potential threats such as supply chain or cybersecurity, and;
  • Interagency coordination and promoting deployment

Full text of the bill is available HERE.

Congresswoman Matsui has long been a champion of promoting innovation and equity in technology and serves as Chair of the Congressional High-Tech and Spectrum Caucuses. She has pushed for a unified spectrum strategy and been a key proponent of the FCC’s spectrum auction authority to ensure a healthy spectrum pipeline for years to come.

She co-authored the Spectrum Innovation Act, which would extend fixes to the process for making the lower 3 GHz band available for auction and fund important initiatives, including the FCC’s rip and replace program. She is also co-author of the bipartisan Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act, which was passed in 2020. The legislation reaffirmed a bipartisan commitment to protect America’s communications networks’ supply chain and worked to prohibit Huawei, ZTE and other equipment from threatening America’s telecommunications networks.

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