Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt criticized the US government for not doing more to make the country a 5G leader and said inaction in Washington ceded the initiative to China.
5G networks promise faster speeds, higher capacity and lower latency than previous generations of mobile technology.
These features will deliver a range of consumer benefits, including superior mobile broadband, but the real potential lies in utility, defense and industrial applications that could become an integral part of society and national economies.
5G address
In this sense, 5G leadership is not just an industrial ambition, but an integral component of the national strategy. China has devoted significant government resources to ensure it is at the top of the pecking order, while its trade rollout has been one of the fastest in the world, while other countries have also overtaken the United States.
In a scathing Wall Street Journal op-ed co-authored with Graham Allison of Harvard University, Schmidt urged the US government to take action to close gaps in average speed and pace of implementation, warning that China could "own 5G". increase".
Potential remedies could include more research funding, investment-friendly policies and ensuring operators have access to necessary spectrum. However, Schmidt acknowledged that sanctions against Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei had had some impact.
"The shift to real-world 5G speeds will lead to analogous advances in autonomous vehicles, virtual reality (VR) applications like Metaverse, and other yet-to-be-invented areas," they said. "Applications abound that could benefit a country's intelligence agencies and enhance its military capabilities."
“America's pathetic performance in the 5G race is a sign of America's greatest failure to keep up with China on strategically important technologies. China is also ahead of the United States in high-tech manufacturing, green energy and many artificial intelligence applications.
Although 5G is still in its infancy, the race to become the leader of 6G has already begun. Research efforts are well advanced in Europe, China, Japan, and North America to become a leader not only in the development of 5G applications and services, but also in the technologies that will set global standards.
Via The Wall Street Journal