In the 'Year of 5G,' Many Americans Still Struggle to Get Online

This spring the US government was planning to focus on its strategy for rolling out fifth-generation wireless networks, bringing faster internet connections to power movie downloads, telemedicine, self-driving cars, and more. Then the new coronavirus hit, sending workers and schoolchildren home to try to do their jobs and continue their education on laptops. Suddenly 5G took a back seat to a much more pressing problem: Tens of millions of Americans don’t have access to reliable internet connectivity, or can’t afford it, and will have trouble communicating, working, and attending classes online without it.

Advocates for expanded regulatory authority over broadband now see more need for it than ever. “The broadband companies used to attack me for utility-style regulation,” says former Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler. “We’re talking about critical services.” FCC Chairman Pai, a former lawyer at Verizon, has tried to minimize the government’s involvement in the broadband market. He’s argued in court that the FCC has far less legal authority to regulate broadband than his predecessors claimed. As a result, the chairman “doesn’t have anything more than arm-twisting ability right now,” says Benton Institute senior fellow and public advocate Gigi Sohn.