US Government Is Tripping Over Itself in Race to Dominate 5G Technology

As America races to deploy next-generation wireless technology, several arms of the government are at odds over how to allocate space on the radio-frequency spectrum for 5G. The Federal Communications Commission, which sets policy for spectrum licenses, has openly fought with the Commerce Department, which houses agencies that use spectrum for weather satellites that are crucial to predicting hurricanes. The departments of Transportation, Energy and Education have also objected to various plans to open up airwaves for faster networks. And amid all the fighting, a top Trump appointee responsible for mediating spectrum disputes abruptly quit. The resulting delays in spectrum allocation are no small matter, threatening to undermine America’s efforts to dominate the wireless technology that will be embedded in so many innovations in the future.