Commissioner O'Rielly Remarks before the Brooklyn 5G Summit 2019

The future success of 5G is dependent, first, on those in the right positions — be it the private wireless sector, their financial backers, or those of us in government — ensuring ample resources are available for it to flourish. From a regulator’s perspective, this includes clearing and reallocating spectrum, especially in the mid bands, where the technology can operate. Second, it also means addressing any challenges posed by both foreign governments and providers who may have malicious intent.

Although high-band spectrum holds out great promise for 5G and future communications services...the US government needs to be equally focused on providing the wireless sector with much needed mid-band spectrum for 5G networks. The Federal Communications Commission must make procedural changes to enable auctions to be held closer together and ideally even simultaneously.

If we accept as a given that a certain communist nation is trying to ensure its dominant global position in 5G, then we collectively need to understand the underlying motives driving this effort, the techniques being used to achieve it, its overall ramifications, and how best to respond.  In the long-run, the only solution, as I see it, is for global trade policy to be revised to take a harder line in accounting for companies from non-market economies.