What's the Outlook for 5G in Rural States?

As the connectivity versus local control debate rages on, the prospect of 5G infrastructure blanketing the country remains a far-off concept in many areas. A growing number of cities are announcing partnerships with telecommunication providers, but many rural areas continue to struggle to connect their citizens at all. Earlier in 2018 at the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) Midyear Conference in Baltimore (MD), KY CIO Charles Grindle discussed the possibility of bypassing fiber and broadband in order to connect the remaining 20 percent of his state that lacks Internet access. 5G, he said, should be considered, especially if the infrastructure can be installed at a lower cost than other options. NE has a similar challenge, as CIO Ed Toner explained. "4G would be great when you’re in far western Nebraska," Toner said, referring to some of the more remote areas of the state. But there may be reason for hope. The upcoming FirstNet network promises network infrastructure that will complement the state's existing efforts.  "FirstNet, we're hoping, is going to be a big boon to our rural communities because AT&T has given us a great map of where they're going to be in five years," he said.