Administration Coming Up Short on Security of 5G, Wheeler Says

Former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler questioned whether the administration is fully committed to cybersecurity as industry moves on 5G. A Monday opinion in The New York Times builds on his recent blog post (see 1901140038). “Leadership in 5G technology is not just about building a network, but also about whether that network will be secure enough,” Wheeler said. “And the 5G ‘race’ is more complex and dangerous than industry and the Trump administration portray.” Wheeler cited self-driving cars: “When 5G enables autonomous vehicles, do we want those cars and trucks crashing into each other because the Russians hacked the network? If 5G will be the backbone of breakthroughs such as remote surgery, should that network be vulnerable to the North Koreans breaking into a surgical procedure? Innovators, investors and users need confidence in the network’s cybersecurity if its much-heralded promise is to be realized.”