Airway Heights, WA (July 2, 2021) – Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) today made the first commercial 5G mid-band spectrum call ever made from Airway Heights. Rodgers was joined by Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr as T-Mobile and Legacy Telecommunications completed the installment of a new cell tower in Airway Heights.  

“Reliable internet has become essential for everything from school and work to accessing health care services,” said Rodgers. Yet many in Eastern Washington and across the country continue to lack the connectivity they need for access. With the installment of this new cell tower, we are expanding high-speed internet and 5G services in Eastern Washington and moving one step closer to closing the digital divide.”  

Early this year, Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans, led by Rodgers, unveiled the Boosting Broadband Connectivity Agenda to close the digital divide and ensure unserved and underserved communities have access to reliable broadband services. This package of bills would turbocharge public and private investment by promoting new and upgraded infrastructure deployments, boosting competition, streamlining permitting processes, and facilitating broadband deployment on federal lands. 

Last Congress, the House passed the Broadband DATA Act, which included elements of Rodgers’s Broadband Data Improvement Act. The law requires the FCC to revamp the federal mapping process to ensure the federal government has access to reliable coverage data, so federal resources can be targeted where needed. These new maps will help stretch federal funding further by accurately targeting dollars for truly unserved communities across eastern Washington. 

Congress also passed the Secure 5G and Beyond Act last year, to institute a “whole of government” strategy to protect U.S. telecommunications networks from national security threats. 

NOTE: Read more about the Boosting Broadband Connectivity Agenda by clicking here.