The war over 5G

China and the U.S. are locked in an arms race to control “the world’s fastest wireless internet,” said Josh Chin in The Wall Street Journal. The next era in mobile communications will be defined by emerging 5G—the fifth generation of cellular technology. New standards and networks promise speeds that are up to 100 times faster than 4G, but the National Science Foundation believes the U.S. is behind in development. The speed of the 5G networks could enable doctors to perform surgery remotely and driverless cars to share data about the roads around them. The stakes are massive: China is on “a quest to dominate the technology” and is investing heavily. In the U.S., Verizon is leading the charge and expanding the American footprint by experimenting with the technology in 11 markets.