US companies battle for control of 5G spectrum

Donald Trump’s push to roll out 5G internet as quickly as possible has sparked a series of disputes over who should get access to parts of the telecoms spectrum, involving groups as large and varied as Facebook, Google, AT&T and National Public Radio. The Federal Communications Commission has pushed forward with a string of spectrum sales in the past few months as it rushes to fulfil the US president’s pledge to “win the race” to establish superfast internet across the country. But experts warn that the tangled mesh of different corporate and government claims over what is known as the “Goldilocks” mid-part of the spectrum threatens to delay the rollout, and leave the US trailing China.