April 03, 2019
Reps. Cárdenas, Brooks, Vela and Banks introduce bill to protect 5G networks from nationalization
Today, Reps. Tony Cárdenas (D-CA), Jim Banks (R-IN), Filemon Vela (D-TX), and Susan Brooks (R-IN) introduced the Eliminate From Regulators Opportunities to Nationalize The Internet in Every Respect Act (E-FRONTIER Act). This bill would safeguard the commercial 5G broadband networks from nationalization without authorization from Congress. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) introduced the Senate version of the bill on March 27.
- “Private investment in broadband infrastructure, competition, and right-sized government involvement have made America leaders in innovation,” said Congressman Cárdenas. “I am proud today to introduce the bipartisan E-FRONTIER Act, which prevents Administration attempts to nationalize our broadband network and would compromise the balance of the private sector and public involvement. In the last few decades, American industry has blazed the trails in technological advancement and made us leaders. We need to maintain this status while also protecting our American values and our national security. At the same time, we need to make sure that high quality broadband is available to the American people so they can run their businesses, do their homework, and stay in touch with loved ones, no matter where they live.”
- “As the co-founder and co-chair of the 5G Caucus, I understand how important it is for our laws to support this kind of innovation, but the federal government should not infringe upon the deployment of 5G communications networks in the process,” Congresswoman Brooks. “The United States led the way in 3G and 4G, and it is critical that we win the race to 5G as it will create jobs for Americans across the country, boost our economy and provide a new generation of connectivity that will support our increasingly connected world. Government's role in the race to 5G is to cut regulatory barriers and help establish a spectrum pipeline, but beyond that, the government should stay out of the way. The government must continue to let the expertise and knowledge of industry leaders take the lead in shaping the internet’s capabilities, development, and deployment so we can continue to allow the internet to transform the way we live.”
- “I am proud to join in the bipartisan introduction of the E-FRONTIER Act,” Congressman Vela said. “America is a global leader in innovation and our private sector has the technical ability to continue to lead the way in 5G wireless deployment. A careful and thoughtful deployment of 5G will better position our country in terms of security and quality.””
- “Cyber threats are a leading cause for national security concerns,” Congressman Banks said. “China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia have invested billions of dollars to influence and infiltrate our broadband technology. Each day, U.S. wireless carriers experience billions of cybersecurity incidents and have developed innovative methods to prevent many more. This institutional knowledge can only come from experience and has equipped the American telecommunications industry with the prerequisite expertise to build a robust and secure 5G wireless system. America won the race to 4G by relying on the economic value of free enterprise, not the central planning and economic control of nations like China. 5G technology holds the tremendous potential of unleashing a new technological revolution by providing incredible speeds and use applications. Nationalizing a project of this magnitude would be a massive overreach by the federal government into a marketplace in which it does not have any business. It also would greatly increase the probability of corruption and mismanagement; two problems we cannot afford to have when dealing with major cybersecurity threats. For the sake of the free market and sound national security operations, the federal government should stay out of constructing the 5G broadband network.”