Key Takeaways
- •Members and witnesses emphasized that the U.S. must accelerate interagency coordination to counter China’s influence at the 2027 World Radiocommunication Conference in Shanghai and secure global technology standards.
- •Steve Lang (Senior Advisor, Crest Hill Advisors) testified that the U.S. must immediately appoint a head of delegation and build early international coalitions to prevent China from sidelining American interests.
- •Rep. Hudson (R, NC-9) pressed Dave Cavossa (President, Commercial Space Federation) on non-participation risks, leading Cavossa to warn that Chinese satellite companies would become the only option for global consumers.
- •While both parties agreed on the CCP threat, Rep. Pallone (D, NJ-6) expressed concern that the administration’s foreign policy could alienate the international allies needed for a one-country, one-vote system.
- •The U.S. must finalize spectrum positions by summer 2026 to build the diplomatic consensus required to win leadership elections and protect commercial space innovation from restrictive new international regulations.
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Hearing Analysis
Overview
The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held a bipartisan hearing on March 18, 2026, titled "Securing U.S. Leadership of Communications Technology." The primary purpose of the hearing was to examine U.S. strategies for maintaining dominance in global telecommunications, specifically focusing on upcoming engagements with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Members and witnesses discussed the strategic importance of the 2026 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference and the 2027 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-27), which is slated to be held in Shanghai, China. Chairman Richard Hudson (R, NC-9) and Ranking Member Doris Matsui (D, CA-7) both emphasized that these international forums determine the global rules for spectrum allocation and satellite orbits, directly impacting U.S. national security and economic competitiveness.
Key Testimony
The witness testimony highlighted the urgent need for early preparation and interagency coordination. Ambassador Steve Lang, Senior Advisor at Crest Hill Advisors, testified that the WRC is the most consequential negotiation most people have never heard of, noting that China’s selection as the host for WRC-27 gives the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) a home-field advantage to steer technical discussions. Lang proposed four critical steps: keeping pressure on China regarding the host country agreement, accelerating U.S. position-setting, building early global coalitions, and identifying a head of delegation immediately. Fiona Alexander, a strategist at American University and former NTIA official, stressed that the U.S. must treat these meetings as multi-year diplomatic campaigns. She highlighted the importance of reelecting Doreen Bogdan-Martin as ITU Secretary-General and supporting other American candidates like Jennifer Warren for the Radio Regulations Board.
Overview
George John, a partner at Hogan Lovells and Chair of the FCC’s WRC Advisory Committee, focused on the technical aspects of spectrum management. He argued that the U.S. must move away from "zero-sum" spectrum battles and instead use modern engineering assumptions to allow for better sharing between incumbents and new technologies. Dave Cavossa, President of the Commercial Space Federation (CSF), represented the interests of the burgeoning U.S. satellite industry. He noted that 80 percent of the WRC-27 agenda is focused on satellite and space issues, including direct-to-cell connectivity and lunar communications. Cavossa warned that if the U.S. does not lead, Chinese-backed satellite constellations will fill the vacuum, potentially locking global consumers into CCP-controlled infrastructure.
The hearing identified several key policy proposals and legislative interests. Rep. Brett Guthrie (R, KY-2) and Rep. Frank Pallone (D, NJ-6) referenced a bipartisan letter sent to the President requesting a formal strategy for ITU engagements. Discussions also touched upon the SAT Streamlining Act and the Launch Communications Act, the latter sponsored by Rep. Darren Soto (D, FL-9) to expedite FCC licensing for launches. Witnesses urged the subcommittee to ensure the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) resolve internal spectrum disputes earlier in the cycle to present a unified "Team USA" front abroad.
The industry impact of these proceedings is vast, affecting telecommunications, aerospace, and technology sectors. Organizations mentioned during the hearing were discussed in the following contexts: The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) was the central focus as the UN body governing global communications; the People's Republic of China (China) was characterized as a strategic adversary seeking to use its host status at WRC-27 to promote its own standards; the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) were discussed regarding their domestic regulatory roles and the need for better coordination; the Commercial Space Federation (CSF) was cited as the voice for U.S. space innovation; Huawei and ZTE were identified as untrusted Chinese vendors that benefit from CCP-led international standards; SpaceX, Blue Origin, Rocket Lab, and Amazon (Project Kuiper) were referenced as American leaders in the satellite race that require favorable international spectrum rules; and the State Department was identified as the lead agency for international diplomatic negotiations.
Partisan dynamics were notably unified, with both Republicans and Democrats expressing deep concern over China's influence at the ITU. There was a shared consensus that the U.S. must not retreat from multilateral bodies despite their flaws. Notable exchanges included Rep. Raul Ruiz (D, CA-25) discussing the importance of unlicensed spectrum for hospital Wi-Fi and Rep. August Pfluger (R, TX-11) questioning whether the U.S. should withhold funding from international bodies led by adversaries. The hearing concluded with a call for the administration to finalize its delegation leadership and for Congress to maintain rigorous oversight of the preparatory milestones leading up to the 2026 and 2027 conferences.
Transcript
Subcommittee will come to order. The chair recognizes himself for an opening statement. First, I want to apologize for being a couple minutes late. I had some fire chiefs show up that weren't on my schedule, but they're from the district, so I had to say hello. And I apologize for starting four minutes late. Good afternoon and welcome to today's bipartisan subcommittee hearing examining strategies for the U.S. to lead the future of communications technology. This subcommittee has jurisdiction over the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, NTIA, and the Federal Communications Commission, FCC. Both are integral to our nation's spectrum management policies. The FCC also plays a critical role in overseeing the communications industry. In addition to these domestic agencies, there's also international treaties, meetings, and bodies that help establish global rules that govern these services. The International Telecommunication Union, ITU, is the United Nations agency responsible for international coordination of communications services. The ITU manages a global table of spectrum allocations reflecting international agreement on identified uses of spectrum frequencies across the world. The ITU also allocates satellite orbits. The ITU meets every four years to set its strategy for the next four and hold elections for the organization's five top officials, the 48-seat council membership, and 12 Radio Regulation Board members. The ITU also holds the World Radiocommunication Conference every four years to review and update international treaties governing spectrum and satellite orbits. The WRC-27 is expected to cover a variety of topics, including discussions to identify additional spectrum bands for International Mobile Telecommunications, IMT, service. WRC-27 will also feature a number of important agenda items related to the satellite services. The satellite industry has been in a period of robust growth and innovation over the last decade, with the U.S. companies leading much of the world in these developments. Satellite technology plays an increasingly important role in our communications infrastructure, including broadband and other critical services. Satellite communications services have also been transformational for our first responders. In my home state of North Carolina, when Hurricane Helene devastated terrestrial-based infrastructure, satellite was able to bridge the gap and keep first responders connected. Demand for these services has resulted in the deployment of thousands of new satellites. Satellite-based services are a global enterprise, and these deployments require close coordination with the ITU and other countries. Our nation is the world's economic powerhouse, and we lead the world in innovation. The United States is home to the world's best technology companies. These companies have led in the creation of new devices and services that we rely on every day. On our committee, we are working in a bipartisan way to ensure we continue to lead in new technologies of tomorrow. China wants to surpass the U.S. as the global technology leader. Under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party, China has subsidized and stolen technology across a wide range of industries, including communications technologies. CCP-affiliated companies like Huawei have exported communications equipment around the world, giving support to the CCP's espionage activities. The CCP also seeks to sideline the United States in international telecommunication and technology standard bodies. If successful, our allies and partners around the world may increasingly turn to CCP-linked entities for telecommunications and satellite solutions and digital services. This is bad for American business, bad for Americans who rely on these devices and services for their daily lives, and ultimately undermines our economic and national security. The CCP notched another win in this column last year when the ITU announced it would hold the 2027 World Radiocommunication Conference, WRC-27, in Shanghai, China. As the host country, China will serve as chair of the conference, allowing the CCP to steer these critical discussions. Given this, the U.S. should be an active participant in all upcoming ITU engagements. As I mentioned, WRC-27 will consider a number of agenda items related to communications services, including spectrum allocations. Key decisions will be made at these meetings to establish technical rules for communications technologies. So I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today about what is at stake in these upcoming engagements and what success looks like for the United States. I now recognize the ranking member, the gentlelady from California, for her opening statement.
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