House Panel Advances Spanberger Plan to Protect 5G Infrastructure

November 22, 2019 by Dan McCue
House Panel Advances Spanberger Plan to Protect 5G Infrastructure

WASHINGTON – The House Energy and Commerce Committee this week advanced Rep. Abigail Spanberger’s plan to protect 5G and next-generation wireless communications systems and mobile infrastructure in Central Virginia and across the United States. 

The Committee’s passage of the Virginia Democrat’s Secure 5G and Beyond Act lays the groundwork for the bill to receive a full vote on the floor of the House.

Last month, the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed her legislation by a unanimous vote.

The Act would require the administration to develop a national strategy to protect U.S. consumers and assist allies and partners in maximizing the security of their 5G telecommunications systems.

The national strategy would also identify additional ways to spur research and development by U.S. companies in a way that maintains access for all Americans and keeps American firms competitive.

“Chinese tech companies like Huawei and ZTE continue to extend their global grip on 5G communications—and their strategic ties to Chinese military and intelligence agencies present serious, pressing national security concerns for the United States and our allies,” Spanberger said.

“If we aren’t actively working to strengthen our resilience against these threats—especially as we see the growing adoption of these technologies in our rural communities and increasing reliance on these high-speed connections—we are putting American families, businesses, and consumer data at risk,” she said.

Spanberger said she was particularly pleased her bill received strong bipartisan support.

“By developing a national, interagency strategy, this bill would help protect the online security of our citizens and our allies as we move forward into the 21st century,” she said. “This bill would also put us on a path toward maintaining our competitive edge in the face of mounting Chinese dominance in the 5G space.”

Last month, the Federal Communications Commission announced its intention to place greater restrictions on Chinese telecommunications companies like Huawei and ZTE due to widespread security concerns.

According to a 2018 North Atlantic Treaty Organization report, Huawei’s growing influence as a leading supplier of 5G technology could be exploited by China to engage in espionage, monitor foreign corporations and governments, and support Chinese military operations.

Spanberger introduced the Secure 5G and Beyond Act in May. The bill is cosponsored by Reps. Susan Brooks, R- Ind., Tom O’Halleran, D-Ariz., Francis Rooney, R-Fla., Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., (D-MI-08), and Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. 

The Chinese government’s Made in China 2025 plan calls 5G a “strategic emerging industry.”

Already, Chinese tech companies own 36 percent of all 5G standard-essential patents, whereas U.S.-based companies only possess 14 percent of critical 5G patents.

Earlier this year, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford called the potential risks of a Chinese-built 5G network “a critical national security issue” for the United States.

The Act is companion legislation to a bill introduced in the Senate by Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, Mark Warner, D-Va., and Richard Burr, R-N.C.

The text of the bill can be read here.

A+
a-
  • 5G
  • Abigail Spanberger
  • mobile communications
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Technology

    House Passes Bill That Would Lead to TikTok Ban if Chinese Owner Doesn't Sell. Senate Path Unclear

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The House on Wednesday passed a bill that would lead to a nationwide ban of the popular video app... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The House on Wednesday passed a bill that would lead to a nationwide ban of the popular video app TikTok if its China-based owner doesn't sell, as lawmakers acted on concerns that the company's current ownership structure is a national security threat. The bill, passed by... Read More

    In New York City, Heat Pumps That Fit in Apartment Windows Promise Big Emissions Cuts

    NEW YORK (AP) — For 27 years, the heat in Regina Fred’s Queens apartment building came from a noisy steam... Read More

    NEW YORK (AP) — For 27 years, the heat in Regina Fred’s Queens apartment building came from a noisy steam radiator that she couldn't control and sometimes didn't come on at all, leaving her shivering. Sometimes, the radiators ran so hot that residents had to keep... Read More

    March 7, 2024
    by Tom Ramstack
    Congress Warned US Competition for Biotechnology Creates Promises and Perils

    WASHINGTON — New scientific discoveries mean the future is bright for biotechnology but laced with many dangers in the competition... Read More

    WASHINGTON — New scientific discoveries mean the future is bright for biotechnology but laced with many dangers in the competition with China, according to expert witnesses at a congressional hearing Wednesday. China’s military dominance of its industries means its biotechnology could be used to find weaknesses... Read More

    March 7, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Protect Americans Against Foreign Adversaries

    WASHINGTON — A bipartisan bill in the House seeks to protect Americans from the prying eyes of foreign adversaries by... Read More

    WASHINGTON — A bipartisan bill in the House seeks to protect Americans from the prying eyes of foreign adversaries by tightening their reins on ByteDance applications, including TikTok. The bill, introduced by Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., and Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., aims to empower... Read More

    Americans Reporting Nationwide Cellular Outages From AT&T, Cricket Wireless and Others

    A number of Americans are dealing with cellular outages on AT&T, Cricket Wireless, Verizon, T-Mobile and other service providers, according... Read More

    A number of Americans are dealing with cellular outages on AT&T, Cricket Wireless, Verizon, T-Mobile and other service providers, according to data from Downdetector. AT&T had more than 73,000 outages around 9:30 a.m. ET, in locations including Houston, Atlanta and Chicago. The outages began at approximately... Read More

    February 9, 2024
    by Tom Ramstack
    FCC Bans Robocalls Using Voices Generated by Artificial Intelligence

    WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission released a decision Thursday to ban robocalls with voices generated by artificial intelligence. The... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission released a decision Thursday to ban robocalls with voices generated by artificial intelligence. The FCC said the robocalls play key roles in rising rates of sophisticated scams, such as calls before the New Hampshire primary last month using the voice... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top