The US government called for the public to weigh in on 5G priorities, as it works to implement a national strategy aimed at ensuring the security of next generation networks.
In accordance with legislation passed earlier this year, the Trump administration in March unveiled a national 5G security plan, setting goals for the US to facilitate domestic rollouts; identify key security principles; manage risks associated with the use of next generation infrastructure; and promote global development of secure 5G systems.
Tasked with developing an implementation plan to achieve those goals, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is now asking the public to respond to a series of 19 questions.
Among other things, it sought feedback on what steps the government could take to motivate domestic companies to step up work on 5G; what areas of R&D it should prioritise; how it should evaluate the trustworthiness of 5G kit; what tools it should use to mitigate security risks from other countries’ 5G infrastructure; and how best to encourage US companies to participate in development of 5G standards.
US officials have until mid-September to finalise their action plan.
The move comes as the US ramps efforts to reduce reliance on kit from Chinese vendors including Huawei and ZTE. Officials previously expressed an interest in pursuing open RAN technology, and earlier this month a group of 32 big name operators and technology companies came together in an effort to push the US and other global governments toward policies favouring the approach for 5G. https://www.mobileworldlive.com
