Pentagon Opens Door to 5G Network Shared With Civilian Cellphones

US officials are exploring concepts for a new 5G wireless network that would let Silicon Valley giants and other businesses tap valuable Pentagon airwaves, setting up a potential clash over how to deploy the next-generation technology. The Department of Defense issued a request for information that could open the door for investors to bid on contracts to build a domestic cellular network for both the military and for commercial operators. That dual-use structure would allow companies to link connected cars, factories and hospitals over ultrafast fifth-generation signals without bidding for the licenses at auction. The proposal would keep the Pentagon in control of the airwaves, which are used for radar and other military hardware. Most cellphone signals today travel over frequencies that carriers like Verizon and AT&T spend billions of dollars to reserve.