The FCC will stick with its 2019 decision to license wireless spectrum historically reserved for educational institutions to private carriers building 5G networks.

Telecommunications providers will soon compete for licenses for the 2.5 GHz spectrum to build out the next generation of their wireless networks.

The commission will hold a vote next month that educators fear will reverse a 50-year tradition prioritizing access for educational institutions.

The department wrote the commission a letter asking it to maintain the Educational Broadband Service's "educational nature."

A wireless internet service currently available primarily to educational institutions could soon be opened up for private industry to monetize.