5G, Net Neutrality & National Security

The corporate puppet FCC, led by former Verizon attorney Ajit Pai, repealed the Obama era FCC ruling that mandated “net neutrality” – a rule that basically stopped carriers and content providers alike from speeding up or slowing down net traffic based on fast-track payments, priorities granted to favored or owned and controlled content sources. Pai argued that this would accelerate and fund innovation in a world that has been innovating at warp speed for decades without the slightest need to be incentivized. Nobody believed that excuse, obviously, and everyone openly acknowledges that the next Democratic administration will reverse that repeal… unless Congress itself reinstates net neutrality first (bills are brewing in Congress accordingly).

“In the telecom industry, nobody really believes anything was settled when the Pai FCC voted to repeal network neutrality rules in December. The single rule the big ISPs care about most is the one that prohibited the sale of internet ‘fast lanes’ to internet companies that could afford it.” FastCompany.com, January 29^th. But there is a technology alternative that could effectively return that net neutrality reality to the marketplace, based on a suggestion from Donald Trump himself… which is actually a good and viable idea whose time has come.

The motivation behind the suggestion – to centralize the next generation of mobile data technology (the so-call 5G network) – was born in a universe where our increasing dependence on electronic data transmissions continues to create massive vulnerabilities to hackers and malware attackers, a reality that gets increasing difficult to counter as more competing systems, each with its own characteristics, operate separately while effectively delivering the same service. It is vastly easier to secure a single network than a litany of parallel services. We are about to upgrade into an entirely new and fast mobile 5G technology that allows more data to be delivered faster with very little in the way of latency (delays while data is processed). The above graphic tells you what that phase in time line will look like.

OK, specifically what does 5G mean and what can it do? , “The vision of 5G is becoming clearer as we move closer to 2020. Most experts say 5G will feature network speeds that are blazingly fast at 20 G/bps or higher and have a latency that is mere milliseconds. Not only will people be connected to each other but so will machines, automobiles, city infrastructure, public safety and more… 5G networks are also expected to have always-on capabilities and be energy efficient, all of which will likely require new protocols and access technologies…

“5G will likely be designed to build upon the existing LTE networks and many features will start to be available as part of the LTE-Advanced Pro standard… Some of those features include carrier aggregation, which lets operators use existing spectrum more effectively and also increases network capacity. Carrier aggregation will also allow wireless operators to increase user throughput rates. [Hmmm… sounds like the carriers cannot lose, no matter what happens.]

“Self-organizing networks (SON) will likely also be a key factor in the radio access portion. Other technologies such as coordinated multipoint, which lets operators have multiple sites simultaneously transmitting signals and processing signals, will also likely be a key technology.” Sdxcentral.com.

Oddly enough, the first voice to oppose the consolidation of 5G networks into a single, government controlled system, came from… er… Trump-appointed FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, Mr. Corporate and Anti-Consumer-in-Chief. Here is a useful analysis of why centralizing 5G is a good idea from FastCompany.com (1/29): “A National Security Council staffer allegedly floated the idea of a government-run 5G network as a way of better fending off Chinese hackers, Axios reported late Sunday [1/28]. The U.S. wireless carriers would then lease space on the network to distribute their 5G service.

“Sensing an existential threat to Big ISPs (and possibly a usurping of the FCC’s power) FCC chairman (and former Verizon lawyer) Ajit Pai dutifully and immediately released a statement opposing the idea. A Recode story Monday [1/29] cited unnamed administration sources saying the proposal was out of date and not currently being considered. AT&T said it’s 5G work ‘is already well down the road.’ Verizon gave Fast Company a no comment.

“It was a bombshell story for sure, and none of the reporting–nor the White House–has completely shut the door to a government-built-and-operated 5G network. The idea certainly has its downsides–serious ones–but the idea has its upsides, too…

“‘This type of plan could effectively solve the net neutrality problem,’ said Dan Hays, a partner in the global tech, media, and telecom practices at PwC. ‘You would have one network and one set of rules–the government’s rules.’

“The carriers believe that because they built and operate today’s 4G networks they should be able to do what they like with them, that is, monetize them. But if the government owns and operates the network, that dynamic is turned on its head.” Yup, public airways should be handed to corporate interests forever… without any considerations as to what is best for both consumers and the nation itself.

I’m Peter Dekom, and it is breath of fresh air to watch Donald Trump embrace a going-forward telecom policy that not only benefits most of us but also addresses some very troubling security concerns.