Let’s talk 5G – but this time, how about the idea of a government mandated 5G network?
President Trump’s campaign has latched onto the idea of a nationwide “wholesale” 5G network. Policy staffers and the FCC were not aware of the campaign announcement, and on Sunday the campaign walked the statements back – however, this is not the first time this has happened.
So is this political posturing? Maybe not – besides a number of talking heads discussing it, a company called Rivada has been pushing a technology to auction the use of the airwaves and manage different companies demands on them, and have been pushing a public/private partnership to build a national network.
Why do we care?
Is this so crazy? Think for a moment about the interstate highway system, or the electrical grid, or the water system. These are utilities that are shared, and that then drive the rest of the economy.
I’ve reported several times on the problems with the carriers or with broadband access. What if broadband was like the Post Office, subsidized to bring business out to everyone?
I can actually see this being incredibly powerful for providers – imagine cloud technologies where you simply know there’s a network you can rely on. If you’re usually inclined to say “no” to government projects.. think about those utilities, and how connectivity has moved from competitive advantage to utility, a trend only accelerated by the pandemic.
That’s why I care – what do you think?
Source: Axios
