President Donald Trump has signed a memorandum ordering the development of a strategic national policy that will facilitate wireless communications advancement with 5G technology.
Trump instructed federal agencies to review current spectrum utilization, estimate future needs and create research-and-development plans to manage future utilization of 5G systems, Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios wrote in an article published Thursday on the White House’s website.
Kratsios noted the next-generation wireless network will work to process large amounts of data at a speed faster that that of 4G LTE networks.
“Deploying 5G is only possible if we continue to make additional spectrum available and use it more efficiently,” he added.
By instituting a national plan to modernize spectrum, the Trump administration aims to maintain the country’s edge in deploying wireless network technology, drive employment and economic growth and increase national security efforts.
The federal deputy CTO noted that by rising as a world leader in 4G in 2016, the country reported an increase in gross domestic product by $100B in that year alone.
According to Kratios, 4G technology contributed to the $100B increase in the country’s 2016 gross domestic product.