Against a background of increased international cooperation and competition on the development of 5G, the chairman of the FCC is proposing moving ahead with rules on how to use the higher-band frequencies expected to be occupied by the future mobile technology.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler published a blog post last week suggesting "flexible spectrum use rules for bands above 24 GHz" at the next agency meeting on October 22.

Bands above 24GHz, including millimeter bands between 30GHz and 300GHz, are considered prime prospects for new gigabit-speed 5G services, which are expected to arrive in 2020 or thereabouts.

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Wheeler writes that moving ahead on 5G spectrum will help the US keep the mobile lead he believes was established with the early -- but ongoing -- deployment of LTE on American soil, which Verizon Wireless started in 2009.

"Promoting flexible, dynamic spectrum use has been the bedrock that has helped the United States become a world leader in wireless," he writes.

There may be cause to be concerned that "lead" could be eroded as the 5G specification gets firmed up. Europe and China recently struck a development accord on 5G, but neither has yet signed a similar pact with the US.

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— Dan Jones, Mobile Editor, Light Reading