Former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers joined several national security experts Thursday in warning the Federal Communications Commission about the rising tide of China’s 5G technology.
China is crushing the United States as President Donald Trump works to build out fifth generation mobile service, according to a letter Rogers and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie sent to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai.
“Right now, we’re falling behind China in this race,” they wrote. “Since 2015, China has outspent the U.S. by roughly $24 billion in 5G infrastructure.” Rogers and Christie were joined by nearly two dozen national security experts, including former Homeland Security secretary, Tom Ridge.
The letter comes as Pai prepares to auction off three big slices of millimeter-wave airwaves Friday that experts argue are important to providing rural areas’ high-speed internet. The FCC announced the move in April 2019. (RELATED: Trump Makes A Big Push For 5G As Some Republicans Lobby For Nationalizing Such Technology)
Rogers serves as chairman of 5G Action Now, a group formed in January to goose the FCC on 5G technology and warn Americans that China is poised to take the lead on such technology. He wants the FCC and other agencies to put aside their differences aside and speed up development.
Chairman Ajit Pai speaks ahead of the vote on the repeal of so called net neutrality rules at the Federal Communications Commission in Washington, U.S., December 14, 2017. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein/File Photo
Christie and Rogers noted in the letter that China has reportedly spent $24 billion more on wireless communications infrastructure since 2015 than the U.S. The country also built more 5G towers in a three-month span in 2017 than the U.S. did in three years. Still, some agencies are haggling over rollout.
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper urged the FCC in November 2019, for instance, to slow down on spectrum rollout, citing concerns related to “national security, civil service, and the economic benefit of the nation.” Trump, for his part, is on board throttling other countries that seek to accept help from Chinese companies to build out such technology.
The president is pushing U.S. telecommunications companies to blow past China. “I want 5G, and even 6G, technology in the United States as soon as possible. It is far more powerful, faster, and smarter than the current standard,” Trump told his Twitter followers in February.
Rogers and Christie noted that Chinese telecommunication companies Huawei and ZTE are using Beijing as their personal piggy bank as the two telecommunications companies sprint to build out 5G.
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