After the virus: A 5G gold rush?

The great American lockdown that put the economy on ice is fueling hopes of a 5G boom. US mobile carriers were already planning to spend big on deploying superfast wireless internet in the coming years. Then the coronavirus pushed a massive nationwide adoption of Zoom video conferences, distance learning, online doctors’ visits and daylong Netflix binges — and the top internet providers are ready to spend a lot more. Verizon announced it was boosting its estimated capital investment for this year by $500 million, to as much as $18.5 billion, to accelerate its 5G efforts. AT&T, meanwhile, abandoned a planned $4 billion stock buyback March 20, telling regulators that instead it would keep the cash available for helping workers and "enhancing our network, including nationwide 5G."