White House Views 5G, Cybersecurity, AI Among Top FY 2020 R&D Priorities

The Trump administration views development and deployment of 5G networks and other advanced communications and continued leadership in advancing cybersecurity and AI among its top research and development priorities for federal agencies to consider as they develop their FY 2020 budget proposals, said the Office of Management and Budget and Office of Science and Technology in a Tuesday memo. OMB and OSTP highlighted cybersecurity and quantum computing among the Trump administration's FY 2019 R&D priorities. The focus on deployment of 5G and other communications networks follows the January release of a leaked National Security Council draft memo that proposed nationalization (see 1801290034 and 1803210019). 5G and other advanced communications networks “will be critical to an increasingly connected society,” OMB and OSTP said. “Agencies should support the development and deployment of these networks, including by prioritizing R&D to manage spectrum, secure networks, and increase access to high-speed internet.” Autonomous vehicles, drones and other connected systems “rely heavily on robust and secure connectivity to provide novel, low-cost capabilities,” with additional R&D needed to “safely and efficiently” integrate them “onto our roadways and into the national airspace,” they said. “Agencies should prioritize R&D to lower barriers to the deployment of autonomous vehicles and to develop operating standards and a traffic management system” for drones. Agencies should invest in R&D on cybersecurity to protect U.S. critical infrastructure sectors, including “prioritized investment” in AI, computing and cyber capabilities, OMB and OSTP said. “Advanced cyber capabilities at scale require investment in new computing and technology paradigms, including adaptive and automated defensive measures.”