GOP rep says government needs to help telecom industry invest in 5G

Agencies at various levels of government must provide the proper environment for the telecom industry to invest in technology such as 5G, Rep. Susan Brooks (R-Ind.) said in an interview that aired Thursday on Hill.TV’s “Boundless.”

“All of the technology that is connected in your home, all of the devices we’re now wearing, the medical innovations that are coming — it’s all going to require eventually, I think, 5G, which is where we’re going,” said Brooks, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

“We need to do what we can to provide that environment for that investment by the telecom community to invest in this kind of technology,” she added. “That’s kind of our role in government, to make sure that there’s spectrum availability, to make sure that the regulations aren’t too difficult, either at the federal, state or local levels.”

Brooks went on to say that it is also the responsibility of the federal government to push local and state governments to understand what role 5G will play at the state and municipal level.

Experts predict that the full, nationwide deployment of 5G, short for fifth generation, is about five years away. That effort will require local, state and federal officials to work with the private sector to set up small cell stations about the size of a refrigerator every few blocks in order to bring coverage to an area.

“Boundless” is a Hill.TV documentary series focused on technological advancements.

— Julia Manchester


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