COMMERCE/TECHNOLOGY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The Trump administration is feuding internally over the fate of airwaves critical to 5G networks, threatening to undermine the country’s push to speed development of the super-fast wireless service and set the global standards around the technology. The clash pits FCC Chairman Ajit Pai against Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine over whether the FCC’s efforts to free up more wireless spectrum for 5G will interfere with the government’s use of nearby airwaves for weather forecasting and disaster relief. The interagency spat — which has been playing out for weeks behind the scenes and has recently begun to spill into the open — is the latest example of the tug of war over the invisible frequencies that power the nation’s vast cell networks as well as a variety of public safety functions. But the issue has taken on added urgency given U.S. efforts to beat countries like China in the race to roll out 5G. The next-generation networks promise internet speeds up to 100 times faster than current service, and are expected to support innovations ranging from self-driving cars to remote surgery that will fuel future economic growth.”
–Margaret Harding McGill, “Trump administration at war with itself over 5G airwaves,” Politico, April 2, 2019 11:50 am