Marketplace

A big auction is the latest in America’s race to 5G

A brief Q&A with Federal Communications Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. 

The local, national and global fight over 5G infrastructure

The whole multitrillion dollar promise of 5G — millions of jobs and new businesses — is just a pipe dream without infrastructure. Unlike 4G, which can be delivered through a relatively small number of tall towers, 5G wireless service relies on lots and lots of small receivers placed fairly close together. And installing all those little 5G cells is turning into a big fight. Pete Holmes is Seattle's city attorney.

Why the race to 5G is a bet on a multi-trillion dollar economic impact

The next generation of wireless technology, 5G, could be a huge deal. The speed — and the number of devices that can be connected — could spawn new businesses we haven't even thought of yet. It could mean $12 trillion in economic output across the world by 2035. And add some 22 million jobs. A  whiff  of that potential is why there's a race to get to 5G first between companies and countries. 

The Federal Reserve is taking on the digital divide

A Q&A with Jeremy Hegle, a senior community development adviser for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. The Federal Reserve Bank is trying convince businesses that the digital divide is their problem, too. He said: