Have you been dreaming of enjoying the speed of 5G? Many people have, and if you live in the United States, it may not be as far out of your reach as you may have imagined, as the current administration is considering a government-run 5G network which could lead to more security, but it seems like they’ll meet with a lot of resistance to get that going.
White House’s Stand on Proposal
This would be brand new territory for the U.S., as they have never done anything like this before. It also seems like it may be somewhat of a stretch, as this Conservative administration is all about privatization and not having government-run businesses.
However, Axios obtained a PowerPoint presentation, along with a memo that lays out plans for a centralized 5G system throughout the country.
An official with the National Security Council believes that if they had such a system in place by the end of Trump’s four-year term as president, it could make the country safer against cybersecurity and economic threats from China, though a spokesperson with the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Hua Chunying, explained that their government prohibits all cyberattacks.
During a press briefing on Monday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee-Sanders admitted that they have “discussed the need for a secure table” and that “a lot of things are on the table.”
She added:
Right now we are at the very earliest stages of the conversation. There are absolutely no decisions made on what that would look like, what role anyone would play in it, simply the need for a secure network. And that is the only part of this conversation that we are up to right now,”
The Plan’s Opposition
But this doesn’t mean such a plan would be smooth sailing. FCC chairman Ajit Pai is opposing it, noting that “the market, not government, is best positioned to drive innovation and investment.” He feels a nationalized 5G network would be too costly and that it would be counterproductive to their strategies.
Additionally, two of the bigger telecom companies in the U.S., AT&T and Verizon, are already working on introducing 5G coverage this year. In fact, AT&T is already tussling with the government. They’re trying to purchase Time Warner, and the Justice Department is suing to block this sale from moving ahead. Putting all that to the side, neither telecom company is commenting on the future centralized 5G system.
But the plan might not be leaving the telecom companies out of it. They are suggesting either having the government pay and build the network and having carriers rent access to it or having wireless providers build individual 5G networks.
The Reality
It seems like the smaller details of this centralized 5G system don’t even need to be discussed until the larger roadblocks are cleared.
Trump has not had a lot of success with his grand schemes. He has been trying to build a wall at the country’s south border to stop illegal immigration, but there is no way to fund this wall. He insisted in his campaign that he would force Mexico to pay for it, and this is simply not happening. Plans have been drawn up, but it’s still not anywhere close to becoming a reality.
It seems a 5G system would suffer the same fate. There doesn’t appear to be money for the government to build the system on its own, and working alongside the telecom companies to pay for and build the wall doesn’t seem like it will be happening, as they’re already moving along with their own plans that don’t involve the White House.
How do you feel about this proposal? Do you feel the government should be involved in building and maintaining a 5G system with the thought that it would lead to more security? Or do you feel they should stay out of it? Add your thoughts in a comment below!
