The Trump administration’s 5G FAST Plan took another step forward April 12 when Trump and Federal Communications Chairman Ajit Pai announced plans to hold a 5G-spectrum auction on Dec. 10.
USA Today reports this will “be the largest spectrum auction in U.S. history and covers three radio frequency bands.”
Pai’s FAST Plan includes three key components:
- Pushing more spectrum into the marketplace,
- Updating infrastructure policy, and
- Modernizing outdated regulations.
The U.S. will also establish a $20.4 billion Rural Digital Opportunity Fund to build high-speed broadband networks, USA Today reports.
Watch the announcement
Who will lead the 5G effort?
Trump sided with administration officials who favor private sector leadership in the wireless, Politico reported.
"As you probably heard, we had another alternative of doing it that would be through government investment and leading through the government,"Trump said April 12. "We don’t want to do that because it won't be nearly as good, nearly as fast."
What is 5G?
It is the fifth generation of cellular wireless, according to PC Mag. The initial standards for it were set in 2017. It has greater speed to move more data, is more responsive and has the ability to connect more devices at once.
Do any other countries have 5G?
Yes, South Korea has a nationwide 5G network, The Washington Post reported. China is considered in competition with the United States to develop 5G technology.
What are ag groups saying?
"It's meaningful that the administration has made the development of rural communities a centerpiece of its plans to deploy next generation broadband technology,” said National Pork Producers Council President David Herring, a pork producer from Lillington, N.C. “While 'smart cities' and immersive gaming experiences may be more glamourous applications, no economic sector will benefit more from advanced broadband technology than farming, which will use it to more reliably gather data about barn temperatures, efficient water use, soil characteristics, feed consumption and other factors that help us better care for animals, the environment, people and communities.”