Secure 5G network needed in the U.S., but ‘no decisions’ yet on nationalization proposal, White House says
What is in this article?
- Secure 5G network needed in the U.S., but ‘no decisions’ yet on nationalization proposal, White House says
- Secure 5G network needed in the U.S., but ‘no decisions’ yet on nationalization proposal, White House says
- Secure 5G network needed in the U.S., but ‘no decisions’ yet on nationalization proposal, White House says
Secure 5G network needed in the U.S., but ‘no decisions’ yet on nationalization proposal, White House says
In a notable sign of bipartisan unity, all five FCC commissioners expressed opposition to the notion of a nationalized 5G network.
“I oppose any proposal for the federal government to build and operate a nationwide 5G network,” FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement. “The main lesson to draw from the wireless sector’s development over the past three decades—including American leadership in 4G—is that the market, not government, is best positioned to drive innovation and investment.”
Fellow Republican FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly was even more adamant in his position.
“I’ve seen lead balloons tried in D.C. before, but this is like a balloon made out of a Ford Pinto,” O’Rielly said in a statement. “If accurate, the Axios story suggests options that may be under consideration by the Administration that are nonsensical and do not recognize the current marketplace.”
Democratic FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel agreed.
“This correctly diagnoses a real problem,” Rosenworcel tweeted. “There is a worldwide race to lead in 5G, and other nations are poised to win. But the remedy proposed here really misses the mark.”
Brian Carney, spokesman for Rivada Networks, said his company likes the idea of a shared network providing wholesale access to carriers—a business model similar to the one that Rivada proposed in its unsuccessful nationwide FirstNet bid—but does not believe that the government should own and operate the system.
“We don’t think that the government should own networks, but the time for a shared network with open access and free competition to the capacity has come,” Carney said during an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications. “Spectrum is scarce, and there are huge gains to efficiency by having big blocks of spectrum and large channels, especially in 5G. We’re all in favor of it, as long as it adheres to the principles of open access and free competition.”
Rep. Greg Walden (R., Ore.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, reportedly referenced the massive Office of Personnel Management (OPM) data breach and questioned whether “a government that can’t protect its own data can secure a network.”
Walden also reportedly stated, “We’re not Venezuela. We don’t need to have the government run everything.”
A Nationwide 5G and Firstnet
A Nationwide 5G and Firstnet system combination reminds me of this TV series.
Continuum (TV Series 2012–2015)
con·tin·u·um
kənˈtinyo͞oəm/Submit
noun
a continuous sequence in which adjacent elements are not perceptibly different from each other, although the extremes are quite distinct.