THE RACE FOR 5G

By Tom McCarthy

INTRODUCTION
Over an average 4G cellular connection, it takes around seven
minutes to download a two-hour movie. Over 5G, which is
predicted to be up to 100 times faster than 4G, it could take as little
as 10 seconds (Gorman). In a world where speed is everything, this
is a game changing opportunity for advancement across all
industries. There is, however, a catch: achieving the necessary
infrastructure to support a usable 5G network is a massive
undertaking, and China is currently implementing this
infrastructure at a much faster rate compared to the US.
Installing 5G According to Attorney General William Barr, the development of
infrastructure on a 5G is the “first time in history” that the US is not leading “a major
cell tower. technological sector that will underpin future innovation” (Barr).
The Atlantic/Getty National pride is not the only issue at stake here, as the companies
behind the earliest large-scale rollouts of 5G technological
infrastructure will be the biggest winners in supporting trillions of
dollars’ worth of economic and industrial traffic (Benner).
Successful 5G network implementation hinges on developing
infrastructure, and the functioning of the technology and industries
5G – the 5th
built upon that infrastructure are subject to the will of the
generation of wireless
companies behind it. With Chinese companies currently
networking
responsible for over 30% of the market share and no American
technology which
competitors present, American prospects for infrastructure
promises massive
dominance are diminishing (Fung). Qualcomm, an American
increases in
company, is currently leading in 5G chip production for 5G
performance and
compatible devices, but in order to keep China from reaping the
scalability over 4G
long-term economic benefits of 5G and controlling global internet
usage, Congress needs to act quickly and decisively to bring the US
into the forefront of 5G technology development and deployment.
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EXPLANATION OF THE ISSUE

Historical Development
Promising higher speeds, lower transmission delay, and
3GPP – short for the
increased network capacity, 5G is the next generation of wireless
3rd Generation
technology. While it is intuitive to think that moving from 4G to 5G
Partnership Project,
will be like the move from 3G to 4G, 5G represents a paradigm shift
3GPP is the
in network technology and requires an entirely new set of network
consortium of hardware. Described as “the most significant shift in computing
organizations
since the smartphone,” 5G will revolutionize network-based
responsible for
industry (Campbell).
defining and setting
In 2011 3GPP released the finalized standards for 4G LTE,
specifications for
specifying increased capacity and speed of existing wireless systems
cellular technologies. (“LTE”). After the initial deployment of 4G LTE, countries began to
shift their focus towards developing 5G technology, despite the fact
FCC – the that the full potential of 4G had yet to be realized. In fact, today the
governmental limits of 4G have still yet to be fully explored. In some cities,
organization however, carriers have already reached LTE capacity, and the
responsible for upgrade to 5G will provide much needed relief from network
managing the radio slowdowns experienced during busy parts of the day (De Looper).
spectrum in the US. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Owned by the released its FAST Plan to quicken the deployment of 5G networks in
American people, the US in September 2018 (Craven). On December 1, 2018, South
companies buy Korea became the first country to offer 5G coverage. The United
licenses to use parts of States followed several hours later by deploying 5G in select cities
the spectrum. (Li, “T-Mobile 5G”). China’s state-operated carriers officially
launched the largest 5G network on November 1, 2019. Huawei
Huawei – the played a crucial role in China’s 5G deployment, having been
world’s leading 5G awarded almost half of China Mobile’s 5G network deployment
infrastructure contracts.
producer, based in The involvement and focus of the Chinese government in 5G
China. Huawei has development has accelerated its timeline, and Chinese companies
strong ties to the have quickly become the global leaders in 5G deployment. China’s
Chinese government. 5G effort became even more urgent in the aftermath of the
coronavirus outbreak, which ended China’s decades-long streak of
economic expansion (“Shunned by U.S.”). China has already
dedicated over $170 billion to 5G development, and without a
comparatively intensive American counter-effort, it is not difficult
to see how China has been pulling ahead. Americans have been
dominating technological innovation for much of modern history,
so the prospect of losing to China in the largest technology battle
since the Space Race will not be accepted easily.

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Scope of the Problem

Internet of Things
Beyond providing lightning-fast internet connections for
– system of hardware
smartphones, 5G is a large next step for many cutting-edge
devices able to
technologies. For example, 5G would allow autonomous vehicles to
transfer data over a
communicate with other vehicles with near-zero delay and provide
network. Examples
quicker feedback on road conditions and nearby cars (De Looper).
include smart home
This would improve vehicle reaction time, potentially saving
devices, smart cities,
thousands of people. Similarly, cities could make use of
and remote health
interconnected webs of sensors that operate essential urban
monitoring
infrastructure more efficiently (Fulton). 5G will also have a massive
Spectrum Bands – impact on the Internet of Things (IoT), as huge numbers of
sections of the radio devices will be able to connect to single base stations. As a result,
spectrum, often the deployment of a significantly larger systems of sensors will be
defined as high, mid, possible. This is not a comprehensive listing; many more fields will
and low. The high- likely see major benefits from 5G, from health care to remote device
band of the spectrum control to cloud computing.
refers to the highest A couple key technical aspects of 5G beyond sheer speed will
set of frequencies make these advancements possible. First, unlike 4G and previous
usable for generations, 5G can operate on three spectrum bands, a low
communication. frequency band, a mid frequency band, and a high frequency band
(Finley). This allows for higher versatility of 5G systems and makes
Connection a gradual and iterative rollout of 5G simpler. While high-band 5G
Density – the will yield the highest performance, mid-band 5G has characteristics
number of connected more similar to 4G, allowing a sufficient network to be established
devices supported in by retrofitting existing towers with 5G infrastructure. Though
an area by a given slower than high-band 5G, mid-band 5G is longer range and still
network faster than 4G.
Secondly, 5G provides greater connection density than 4G. In
Throughput – the other words, a 5G network can support strong connections to many
rate of information more devices than a similarly sized 4G network, which means that
delivery over a attendees at large events like concerts and sporting events will no
network connection longer experience with bad reception (De Looper).
The process of upgrading to 5G in the US is no simple task,
Latency – the time however; there are several major barriers to 5G deployment,
delay between ranging from industrial and bureaucratic to economic. In addition
sending and to the massive technical overhead of establishing the new network,
delivering a piece of its deployment carries the weight of determining America’s place in
information over a the world’s technological pecking order.
network
Easy Interruption of 5G Signals
Access Point – a
networking hardware The high frequency of high-band 5G signals allowing for fully
component that optimized high throughput and low latency transmission also
connects nearby means that the signals are easily interrupted by almost anything,
devices to the main from trees to pedestrians to precipitation (Finley). To provide
network reliable coverage, a high concentration of access points is

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In the US alone, necessary. To cover any area, a provider would need as many as 10
hundreds of times the number of cell towers that are currently in place.
This is a key component of the infrastructural nightmare that
thousands of access the development of high-band 5G presents. In the US alone,
points would be hundreds of thousands of access points would be required for
required for adopting high-band 5G across major urban areas. To accomplish
adopting high- this within the next decade, legislators may need to loosen
band 5G across regulations concerning infrastructure construction and the costs
major urban areas. associated with installing access points, while not sacrificing quality
or safety.
Frequency Regulation
The FCC regulates who can use different ranges (bands) of
frequencies within the radio wave spectrum. Lower and mid-band
FCC – Federal frequencies have become congested because they work best for
Communications most applications. As explained above, high frequencies provide
Commission; the U.S. less reliable connections at long distances (Finley). This fact seems
federal agency that to be a positive for 5G—with less congestion at higher frequencies,
polices national and there will not be many interference problems with other connection
international types. The FCC has already partially allocated this band of the
airwaves. spectrum for 5G development.
The problem arises from the need for large numbers of access
points to successfully cover an area with high-band 5G reception.
For a large-scale deployment to occur in a relatively short
timeframe, acquiring and setting up enough access points is simply
not feasible. The wireless industry argues that allocation of mid-
band frequencies to 5G will allow for significantly faster
implementation, as fewer access points would be necessary (Finley).
5G would not be meeting its full potential at this stage, but it could
be a necessary step to attempt to keep up with China as the nation
has already allocated a large portion of mid-band frequencies to 5G.
This presents a further challenge, however, as mid-band
frequencies are in high demand. Reallocating a set of those
frequencies could be difficult and detrimental to smaller scale
innovation in the wireless industry.
Coverage in Rural Areas
Ensuring widespread cellular coverage outside of urban areas
has always been a difficult task. In low population density areas,
Internet access in service has been extended along major roadways but little else. This
rural areas has long leaves many rural parts of the country at a disadvantage in regard to
been an issue accessing the digital world, which can have major implications
confronted by local beyond surfing the web in areas like emergency response and
and federal medical treatment. While cell towers have been making their way
government. into rural areas over the years, implementing 5G would be an
Pelican Institute entirely different issue considering its new set of specifications and
requisite technology. Allocating resources to 5G infrastructure

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development in urban areas would further leave the internet and

global relevance of rural areas in the dust.
Dependence on Foreign Infrastructure Providers
The US does not have any major 5G infrastructure suppliers,
which puts the US at a major disadvantage when mounting an effort
to counter China’s 5G success. American mobile carriers such as
Verizon and AT&T have touted their initial launches of 5G services
as major successes, but they are relying on foreign 5G infrastructure
(Fung). This infrastructure is still relatively scarce within the
country, as such a vast quantity of access points is necessary in
order to cover any substantial area.
Only three companies account for the majority of the 5G
infrastructure market share. Huawei tops the list by a large margin.
Therefore, large-scale infrastructure manufacturing remains a
major obstacle in US 5G dominance. If the US is to claim victory,
the government must find a way to bypass Chinese 5G, either by
starting its own alternative or working with European producers.
More difficultly, this non-Chinese route must be more attractive
than Chinese companies to ensure world-wide adoption.
Implications of Chinese Dominance
The biggest reason to push expedient development of 5G
infrastructure is competition with China. As mentioned earlier,
Chinese companies are currently significantly further along in 5G
infrastructure installation than American ones; the United States is
doing an excellent job of developing 5G devices and services
(Qualcomm is a leader in this pursuit), but no American companies
are currently making a competitive play at the terrestrial
infrastructure market.
American national security experts have stated that Chinese
companies (like Huawei, the leader in 5G infrastructure) have
China is currently dangerously close relationships with the Chinese government,
leading the world in largely due to the fact that Chinese law requires that “any
5G deployment. organization and citizen” shall “support and cooperate in national
The Washington Post intelligence work” (McGregor). This leads to the concern that the
use of Chinese 5G infrastructure could allow the Chinese
government secret access to the world’s data, in addition to
improper control of the systems it runs on (Benner).
Surrendering 5G dominance to China would similarly grant
China enormous economic leverage. By 2025, it is expected that 5G
will be supporting $23 trillion worth of economic opportunity
(Osman). Looking at the number of technologies that 5G
connections are expected to revolutionize, this number can be
expected to grow tremendously in the coming years.
As 5G will allow for remote usage of essentially infinite
computational resources, Chinese dominance would have major

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implications in the matter of technological innovation, most notably

in the Artificial Intelligence Race. Beyond its potential security
risks, this outcome would certainly set back the US as the world’s
leading power in technology and would likely lead to a future in
which China’s influence in innovation surpasses ours on a global
scale.
Congressional Action
Cybersecurity has been a primary concern in Congress for
decades, but in anticipation of widespread 5G deployment, the
focus of legislation has gradually shifted from general outlines of
cybersecurity precautions to restrictions on commercial activity.
For instance, S 1353, the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2014,
required federal agencies to develop a cybersecurity strategy plan
every four years. While this 2014 bill called for strategic
cybersecurity planning, more recent bills currently under debate in
Prague Proposals Congress take these protective measures further by addressing the
– a set of commercial aspect of 5G cybersecurity.
recommendations HR 575 (agreed upon in January 2020) urges “stakeholders in
developed during the 5G infrastructure deployment to carefully consider the security
Prague 5G Security recommendations of The Prague Proposals.” This does not
Conference. Providing include any legislation proposals, but simply encourages American
a comprehensive entities and especially the president to be cautious in developing
analysis of 5G’s commercial ties with 5G infrastructure companies susceptible to
security concerns, the state influence.
proposals warn To further protect 5G infrastructure in the United States, the
against promoting Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act (HR 4998) was
state-influenced 5G also passed in 2020. It prohibited the FCC from funding the
companies. acquisition of products from untrusted suppliers. In anticipation of
the obstacles that the US will encounter in providing 5G coverage to
areas with low populations, the bill also established a program for
rural telecommunication providers to exchange information about
potential cybersecurity threats to their networks.
The Secure 5G and Beyond Act (S 893) was signed into law in
March 2020. This bill requires the president to establish a strategy
to protect 5G technology and infrastructure by assisting allied
countries and protecting the competitiveness of companies within
the US In response to growing security concerns regarding Huawei,
it also sought to pinpoint “security gaps” in the supply chain of 5G
infrastructure and future generations of wireless communication.
In preparation for the deployment of 5G, there have also been
several efforts to improve the FCC’s data collection methods. In
2018, Congress passed the Rural Wireless Access Act of 2017 (S
1621), which required the FCC to establish thorough methods of
data collection on the wireless coverage of rural areas. In 2019, the
Broadband DATA Act (S 1621) stated that the FCC must define
different speed tiers and develop an effective method of data

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collection for commercial cell service speed. Congress has already

started to tackle these issues. Previous legislation, whether passed
into law or simply introduced to the House or Senate, should serve
as guidelines for what has already been discussed on Capitol Hill.
Other Policy Action
The Prague Proposals outline the cybersecurity framework
developed during the Prague 5G Security Conference in 2019, which
emphasized exercising caution in trading 5G infrastructure with
The ultimate companies susceptible to state influence. Although the conference
did not specifically identify any countries or companies as security
decision for each risks, the US has individually alerted its allies about the risks of
country comes using products from China-based companies, such as Huawei, due
down to whether it to China’s laws requiring companies to coordinate with Chinese
prioritizes quickly intelligence agencies (Hartman). As discussed above, China’s 2017
obtaining a 5G National Intelligence Law states that “any organization or citizen
network with shall support and cooperate with state intelligence work”
(McGregor).
affordable 5G Countries around the world have taken varying positions on
infrastructure over banning Huawei equipment. The ultimate decision for each country
protecting itself comes down to whether it prioritizes quickly obtaining a 5G
from potential network with affordable 5G infrastructure over protecting itself
security risks. from potential security risks. In 2019, President Donald J. Trump
banned US companies from using equipment from companies
identified as a national security risk through an executive order
(Keane). In May 2020, he extended this ban until May 2021.
Australia, Japan, Taiwan, and several other countries have also
placed bans on Huawei equipment.
Spectrum In April 2020, the UK announced that it would allow Huawei
Harmonization – access to non-sensitive parts of its 5G network (Piper). However,
the concept of after facing pressure from conservative government members,
increased network Prime Minister Boris Johnson agreed to develop plans to phase out
connectivity between Huawei’s involvement in the UK’s 5G network
countries, which At the WRC-19 Conference, delegates from 163 countries,
would simplify including the United States, agreed to an international treaty that
international travel identified specific frequency bands for global spectrum
harmonization (“Conclusion of WRC-19”). The treaty also
outlined protective policies to ensure that space research remains
unhindered by the deployment of 5G technology and established a
timeline for the rapid deployment of large satellite constellations to
offer affordable 5G coverage.

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IDEOLOGICAL VIEWPOINTS
Conservative View
In general, the conservative approach to the issue has focused
on matching China’s rapid 5G development and mitigating the
adoption of Chinese 5G technology across American-allied
countries. Most conservatives support restricting imports and
exports concerning Huawei’s 5G efforts, and such bills have already
passed into law (Benner). Republican lawmakers do not have a
clearly defined platform when it comes to improving American 5G,
President Trump
however, and statements from the White House have remained
making an
similarly incohesive.
announcement on
Though President Trump has spoken on many occasions about
competing with
his administration’s emphasis on keeping Chinese companies from
Huawei’s 5G
beating the US in the 5G race, he has also made statements carrying
dominance.
BBC/Getty Images
the sentiment that the US should not interfere with Chinese 5G
development and rollout (“5G networks”). He assuredly wants
American companies to win through competition, but it is not clear
whether or not Trump would continue blocking Chinese 5G
infrastructure in the long term, as doing so would likely push back
the timeframe for national 5G.
Conservatives tend to oppose a nationalized 5G network because
it would necessitate governmental involvement in the private sector
(Downes). However, some conservatives have shown support for
the concept, citing that they prioritize security and its progress in
5G relative to other countries over all else.
Liberal View
Liberals also generally acknowledge that Huawei’s involvement
in 5G networks poses a threat to democratic values and the free
flow of information (Edgerton). They are generally less concerned
about moving forward with national 5G as fast as possible, however,
and in many cases are instead focused on building an efficient 5G
network that will connect everyone to affordable 5G service
(including those in rural areas) (Hendel).
As such, liberals prioritize thorough research of broadband
coverage across the US before 5G’s funding and deployment. They
reason that without accurate maps of existing infrastructure,
deploying 5G in remote areas of the US before detailed research is
completed is an unrealistic goal that will waste federal funding.
Liberals are also more likely to support a nationalized 5G
network, as it aligns with the generally pro-regulation stance they
take. As mentioned earlier, proponents argue that a single national
network developed like this would be necessary to ensure security
and expedite development. That being said, a well-defined liberal

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platform in this regard is yet to be defined, and several Democrats

have come out against the concept (McGill).

AREAS OF DEBATE
Blocking Chinese 5G Development
The most widely practiced short-term solution to slowing down
China’s advancement in the 5G race is restricting involvement
Restricting between Chinese 5G companies and American trade.
commerce with For example, the Executive Branch through the Department of
Huawei may be the Commerce has issued a series of export rules which keep American
best way to slow companies and companies using American owned technology from
down its global 5G selling semiconductor chips to Huawei (Feng). These chips are vital
plans. to Huawei’s phones and 5G infrastructure. While they will still be
NPR/Getty Images able to access them through other avenues, the goal of this
particular policy is to raise costs for Huawei. This would make using
Huawei as a provider more expensive, with the hope that the
By keeping Huawei countries using Huawei tech would look to European 5G companies
as cheaper alternatives.
from developing As mentioned earlier, President Trump has also banned US
and distributing companies from using equipment from companies classified as
their technology, security risks since 2019, which has kept Huawei’s accessible
the rollout of a market outside of the US (Keane). Many other countries have taken
complete 5G this approach as well.
network in the US The main problem with such restrictions is that by keeping
Huawei from developing and distributing their technology, the
and globally will be rollout of a complete 5G network both in the US and globally will be
delayed. delayed. Lawmakers have to decide if they prioritize American
dominance in 5G or having nationwide 5G as soon as possible.
Political Perspectives on this Solution
Both parties have reached similar conclusions favoring
restricting involvement between American commerce and Huawei.
Conservatives tend to be more vocal about the necessity of the
approach but have also been the most vocal against such restriction
(especially within the Trump Administration). Trump has indicated
that he would be willing to reach some sort of trade deal with China
that includes easing up on Huawei, but it is unclear what China
would be offering in return (Ward).
Up to this point, Congress has placed decision making about this
solution in the hands of the president, and further Congressional
action would be necessary to solidify an unwavering
implementation.

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Partnership with European Supplier(s)

As there are no American companies currently mounting
serious competition against the major 5G producers, the idea of
investing in or acquiring one of the two European such producers
(Nokia and Ericsson) remains an interesting proposition for both
the American private sector and public sector.
American acquisition of Nokia or Ericsson could take shape in
two main ways: by the government directly, or by an American
company buying them out (Osman). Qualcomm and Cisco both
appear as promising candidates for this, as they both have made
significant strides in other areas of 5G development. If the
The Swedish government were to own a controlling stake in one of the
company Ericsson companies, alternatively, this would likely lead to the nationalized
and Finnish 5G network that is discussed below.
company Nokia are Partnership and investment to a level under the point of
the two largest 5G acquisition are possible as well. Qualcomm, for example, has
infrastructure maintained a 5G partnership with Nokia (Osman). If the
producers after government were to go down this road, the hope is that Nokia or
Huawei. Ericsson would be better equipped to take on Huawei and grow in
Ericsson, Nokia global popularity.
A hybrid approach could also be taken, where the government
offers incentives to private companies that mount serious
opposition to Chinese 5G providers. This policy likely means that
the government would be supporting bigger partnerships between
American companies and the European providers, ideally achieving
a similar end as direct investment or acquisition.
Political Perspectives on this Solution
This solution has received mixed reviews across both parties.
Attorney General Barr has suggested that acquiring one of the two
companies would be one of the only courses of action to beat China,
while other members of the Trump Administration have released
statements against the policy (Barr, Hendel).
Typically against governmental involvement in the private
sector, conservatives would have to weigh the importance of not
interfering with private companies against the importance of having
a domestically owned 5G infrastructure provider. They are more
likely to be hesitant in taking this approach than liberals, though
there is not currently a well-defined liberal platform on the matter.
Nationalized 5G Network
To keep up with the government-backed Chinese 5G effort,
some suggest that the US must approach national 5G development
in the same manner: creating a US-controlled network. This could
aid rapid deployment of 5G infrastructure, and streamline
upgrading network hardware on a national scale (Crawford).

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Where in the current system private carriers each own their own
network, access to a nationally owned network would be leased to
private carriers. One of the most attractive results of this approach
comes from the fact that private carriers are only incentivized to do
what is most financially solvent. With federal control, for example,
underserved and rural areas would be more likely to receive
coverage at an earlier stage (Crawford).
Those in favor of a nationalized network also argue that having a
A nationalized 5G single network (rather than one for each carrier) will mitigate
network would be security weaknesses. They also argue that private endeavors are
overseen by the unable to compete with highly government-affiliated companies
government, with like Huawei (Downes).
access leased out to The major drawback to this approach is that the federal
carriers. government would be responsible for allocating hundreds of
HBR/Getty Images billions of dollars for deploying the network. Once built, the
government would have to operate and maintain the network.
While leases to providers would cover some of these expenses, the
task would be one of the most demanding and resource-intensive
national infrastructure projects in history.
Political Perspectives on this Solution
While conservatives are strongly in favor of beating China to a
large-scale 5G network, the general consensus among Republicans
is that a nationalized network would be a mistake. The former GOP
FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell stated that "every single
Republican thinks it’s a supremely bad idea to have a taxpayer-
owned and -run 5G network” (McGill). The Trump Administration
has wavered with the concept, but the president eventually released
a statement that “government investment and leading through the
government … won’t be nearly as good or nearly as fast” (Downes).
This aligns with the conservative principles of not interfering with
private sector led innovation and the free market.
Democrats have had more mixed opinions on the matter.
Democratic FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel stated that the
solution “really misses the mark”, but other liberals have voiced
support for the idea” (Downes). This support is partially due to
Freeing up a much Democratic emphasis on connecting everyone to affordable 5G,
larger section of even in rural areas.
the spectrum that
Granting More Frequencies to 5G
includes mid-band
frequencies would While a portion of the high-frequency range of the spectrum has
make it much more been allocated to 5G development, freeing up a much larger section
of the spectrum that includes mid-band frequencies would make it
possible to carry much more possible to carry out a large-scale 5G rollout. The FCC
out a large-scale runs public auctions for licenses to use the frequencies. The radio
5G rollout. spectrum in the US is owned by American taxpayers, but much of
this section is currently controlled by radio and satellite companies

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and would need to be repurposed (Wheeler). The solution of

auctioning off this part of the spectrum to 5G providers leaves
several policy decisions to be made. Most significantly, these
include figuring out what exactly will be auctioned, how
transitioning the licenses from the satellite and radio companies
would work, and what rules will govern the use of the spectrum.
Though it is likely necessary for fostering the expedient
development of 5G in the US, rushing to allocate a wider band to 5G
companies in such a manner does, however, lessen oversight of the
wireless industry (Finley). For example, the government would
have less time to lay down regulations enforcing fair usage and
ownership of such large pieces of the spectrum.
Political Perspectives on this Solution
Both liberals and conservatives have expressed support in
allocating more of the spectrum to 5G providers, but they have
differing opinions in how to do so. Liberals favor a more controlled
auction process, with increased restriction on how the spectrum can
be used. Republicans have shown some support for allowing for
companies currently holding the licenses to sell their licenses
themselves (Brookings).
LEO Satellites Providing 5G in Rural Areas
One promising solution to providing 5G infrastructure to rural
LEO Satellites –
areas is the deployment of a network of low Earth orbit (LEO)
non-geostationary
satellites orbiting satellites, which could function as 5G access points in sparsely
populated areas. These LEO satellites would stay within 300 miles
within a thousand
of Earth’s surface, allowing them to communicate with terrestrial
miles of Earth, which
devices over 20 times faster than communicating with much higher
can transmit data
orbiting geostationary satellites, which are used by TV broadcast,
quickly to and from
Earth among many other applications (Baryer). This means that a 5G
network for low population-density areas could be feasibly
implemented by satellites. This concept, however, has two main
challenges: it would take tens of thousands of these satellites to
cover the Earth and it would be technically demanding to handle
the seamless handoff of connections from one satellite to the next
(around every 3 minutes) as they orbit overhead.
While this idea sounds somewhat far-fetched, it is already being
constructed by SpaceX’s Starlink program, which has already set up
300 LEO satellites for this purpose, and Amazon’s Kuiper System,
A 5G network for which will begin launches within the next 5 years (Howell).
low population- The thought of hundreds of thousands of satellites orbiting the
density areas could Earth, however, leads to great concern when it comes to orbital
be feasibly debris, pollution, and satellite congestion. If the government
implemented using implements effective policies before 5G satellite networks become a
reality, the US could avoid paying a greater price later in orbital
satellites. debris accumulation or a large-scale cascade of LEO satellite

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collisions (Howell). This solution bears a tradeoff, however, as

regulation will slow down the rollout of the satellites and thus push
back the eventual release of a global 5G network run by an
American company.
Political Perspectives on this Solution
While this solution has not yet been widely discussed politically,
The pre-deployed a partisan divide regarding support for the technology is already
stack of SpaceX’s forming. Democrats would likely claim that the possibility of LEO
first 60 Starlink satellites acting as 5G cell networks calls for strengthening
satellites in orbit. regulations on large constellations before large-scale launches,
SpaceX especially with regard to orbital debris. The FCC under the Trump
Administration has already approved SpaceX’s initial request to
launch 12,000 satellites, and conservatives are likely to favor a less
regulation heavy approach.

BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS
Congressionally enacted solutions for improving American
prospects in the 5G race range from requiring minimal
expenditures to requiring tens or even hundreds of billions of
dollars. Focusing on restricting trade with Chinese 5G providers
and allocating more of our radio spectrum to American 5G
providers would likely be the cheapest options in the short term
compared to investment or funding, but long-term outcomes must
also be taken into account.
The economic implications of the 5G Race are enormous, and
5G dominance could certainly facilitate long-term growth in the
American economy. Leasing a federally owned network to private
carriers could fund some portion of more expensive solutions, but
significant appropriations for any large-scale measure would be
necessary.
The world is in the
midst of deciding
whether its internet CONCLUSION
will run through
China or the United The issue of 5G deployment in the US is extremely pressing. In
recent months, more and more concerns have arisen based on
States. China’s 5G successes and where Chinese 5G dominance could lead;
action needs to be taken. With a large array of problems between
the logistical, financial, technological, and political sides of 5G
deployment, lawmakers will need to find a balance between letting
the race for 5G run its course and taking on an active role in
facilitating the American 5G effort.
Representatives will need to take on the issue of prioritizing
either building a widespread 5G network as soon as possible or

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pursuing American dominance in global 5G. Further consideration

will need to be given to the method of achieving either outcome.
Representatives must take into account their constituencies when
making such choices; perhaps, for example, rural districts would
prefer prioritizing the expansion of broadband access to low-
population density areas. Conservative representatives, especially,
will need to decide what action can be taken that will effectively
solve the problem but not over-interfere with private companies.
When formulating plans for dealing with the race for 5G,
delegates can use the above ideas as starting points but should feel
free to add personal ideas, combine multiple solutions, or come up
with entirely different ones. Many of the solutions presented above
address totally separate facets of the problem at hand, and
components of each solution can be brought together into a more
comprehensive plan. Securing US dominance in 5G is not a simple
issue to solve, and there are many complexities that need more than
just a single answer. The world is in the midst of deciding whether
its internet will run through China or the United States, and the US
government has the biggest part to play in influencing that decision.

GUIDE TO FURTHER RESEARCH

Understanding the issue at hand is vital to effective contribution
at HMC. After reading this briefing, you can take a look at the
sources listed in the bibliography or do individual research to get a
better grasp of the problem you’ll be trying to tackle. This topic is
new and constantly changing. Keep up with developments as they
arise and think of ideas you could bring to committee.
An understanding of the explicit or anticipated stance your
assigned legislator holds on this issue is crucial to making the most
of your experience at HMC. Comprehensive information can be
found on websites of legislators, as well as Congress.gov. The voting
history, legislative contributions, and statements of a legislator can
be very helpful when trying to determine the point of view of your
representative. If you arrive in Boston with a grasp on what your
representative would support or compromise with, the conference
will be a better experience for everyone.

GLOSSARY
5G – the 5th generation of wireless networking technology which
promises massive increases in performance and scalability over 4G

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3GPP – short for the 3rd Generation Partnership Project, 3GPP

is the consortium of organizations responsible for defining and
setting specifications for cellular technologies.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) – the

governmental organization responsible for managing the radio
spectrum in the US. Owned by the American people, companies buy
licenses to use parts of the spectrum.

Huawei – the world’s leading 5G infrastructure producer,

based in China. Huawei has strong ties to the Chinese government

Internet of Things – system of hardware devices able to

transfer data over a network. Examples include smart home
devices, smart cities, and remote health monitoring.

Spectrum Bands – sections of the radio spectrum, often

defined as high, mid, and low. The high-band of the spectrum refers
to the highest set of frequencies usable for communication.

Connection Density – the number of connected devices

supported in an area by a given network

Access Point – a networking hardware component that

connects nearby devices to the main network

Throughput – the rate of information delivery over a network

connection

Latency – the time delay between sending and delivering a

piece of information over a network

Prague Proposals – a set of recommendations developed

during the Prague 5G Security Conference. Providing a
comprehensive analysis of 5G’s security concerns, the proposals
warn against promoting state-influenced 5G companies.

Spectrum Harmonization – the concept of increased

network connectivity between countries, which would simplify
international travel

LEO Satellites – non-geostationary satellites orbiting within a

thousand miles of Earth, which can transmit data quickly to and
from Earth

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