Free Republic

The author of a memo arguing for a government takeover of development of the nation's 5G mobile network has been removed from the National Security Council staff. The memo's unauthorized release this week caused uproar in the telecom community and created embarrassment for the White House A senior administration official confirmed that Air Force Brig. Gen. Robert Spalding is no longer serving as NSC senior director for strategic planning. Spalding was not fired, according to the official, who said his detail had ended and was not renewed. His last day as a White House staffer was Jan. 31. Spalding was...

All five commissioners for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) came out Monday against the idea of the federal government building out technical networks for the next generation of wireless technology simply known as 5G.“I oppose any proposal for the federal government to build and operate a nationwide 5G network,” FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, a Republican, said in a statement. “The main lesson to draw from the wireless sector’s development over the past three decades—including American leadership in 4G—is that the market, not government, is best positioned to drive innovation and investment.”“A network built by the federal government, I fear, does...