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The Grids We Build Today Must Enable the Networks of Tomorrow
The ability of our electricity grids to fully meet 5G energy demands in the future should not be taken for granted. As the United States navigates the clean energy transition, it would be prudent for stakeholders in nascent, grid-dependent technologies like 5G to collaborate with utilities and regulators to ensure that the grid of tomorrow can support the use-cases of the future.
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Separating Fact from Fiction: Debunking Four 5G Myths
5G networks will be essential to how industries compete, innovate, and generate value; how people communicate and interact locally and globally; and how states pursue security for their citizenry. Yet, due in large part to its significance, it can be challenging to sort through the deluge of information and separate fact from fiction. For interested policymakers, industry players, and the public, 5G can simultaneously feel overhyped and underhyped, already here and a long way off, a pressing national security concern and an economic fairytale. In this blog post, four common 5G myths are identified, and in the process of debunking them, an introduction to the fifth generation of mobile networks is offered.
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Seizing Opportunities: Four National Security Questions to Ask About the Use of Satellites in 5G Networks
In order to deliver on the full promise of 5G networks, satellites will need to play a far more central role within telecommunications networks going forward with both terrestrial and space-based components working in tandem for a wider diversity of functions. What steps should we prioritize today to ensure greater security and resilience of 5G networks now and in the future?
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The Potential Role of Open Source Hardware in 5G Networks: Capturing an Emerging Debate
Efforts are underway in the U.S. to shift the 5G network ecosystem from a limited number of proprietary, vertically integrated suppliers towards a more disaggregated and diverse set of 5G vendors. As that conversation evolves, a nascent conversation is emerging over the role that open source hardware (OSH) can or should play in that ecosystem. What are the potential benefits of integrating OSH into 5G networks? What are the limitations? And what role, if any, should stakeholders (including the U.S. government, private sector, and professional associations) play in encouraging the adoption of OSH in 5G networks?
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A North American Method to the 5G Madness: Conclusions from the 5G Beyond Borders Workshop
On October 15th, 2020, the Wilson Center, in partnership with The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) and the Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM), hosted a trilateral workshop to assess the state of play for 5G in North America as part of a larger project exploring how the US, Mexico, and Canada can work together—beyond geographic boundaries—to maximize the benefits of 5G and related technology through informed policy solutions. Throughout the workshop, three major policy action items were identified for effective North American cooperation to reduce risk, bolster economic gain, and ensure efficient 5G deployment across the continent.
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Balancing the Promise and the Peril of 5G: The State of Play in the United States
This paper first provides an overview of the promise of 5G—its potential benefits, how it differs from past generations of cellular networks, and its current state of deployment in the US—and offers an examination of the risks of 5G—both intrinsic to the technology itself and the national security implications of untrusted vendors in the supply chain. The paper then identifies the three largest strains on current US 5G security efforts and provides key policy considerations to mitigate these risks.
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Standards Secure 5G Infrastructure
This paper explores the value and opportunity for governments and industry in North America to adopt common standards covering 5G networks and IoT connected devices as a condition for an optimized North American 5G manufacturing ecosystem. Developing a 5G technology roadmap will be instrumental to setting standards priorities and identifying gaps in standardization for 5G infrastructure to meet stringent security, health and safety guidelines. The paper suggests coordination across North American governments and industry stakeholders to develop a “5G Safety Code,” embedding minimum security, health and safety requirements in 5G deployment.
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What’s Missing for Boosting Mexico’s 5G Rollout? The Public Policy Landscape
This paper presents an overview of Mexico’s 5G policy and ecosystem, as well as recent developments in the status of 5G deployment as well as relevant regulatory or planning activities. It further discusses the status of Mexican 5G policy in addition to the coordination efforts and relationships among key stakeholders in both the public and private sectors. The paper aims to offer key recommendations for said actors, thus addressing the challenges and opportunities of the current and future 5G landscape in Mexico.
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