American companies want to invest in the spectrum-enabled economy, but the federal government’s sub-optimal spectrum policy constrains the supply of spectrum and leaves billions of dollars of private investment on the sidelines.

At the ready are US firms Verizon, AT&T, Charter Communications, and Ligado Networks, which have pledged $275 billion through 2024 to make the 5G a reality. T-Mobile and Sprint have also pledged $40 billion in the next three years pending merger approval. But these investments will only pay off if the government makes the spectrum– the frequencies across which communication signals travel–available for 5G…

Ligado has taken steps to ensure compatibility as a good spectrum neighbor. Technology has evolved, and federal decision-makers should as well.  If we want the advanced technologies that will grow our economy, we need to allow investment. It’s not enough to talk about building tomorrow’s 5G infrastructure: the federal government needs to do its part so that the innovators and investors can get the job done.

Read the full op-ed at Forbes.