Just one day after the Federal Communications Commission voted to open more spectrum for 5G development and use, the Obama Administration announced a new funding initiative aimed at researching new technology to develop 5G mobile networks and "maintain U.S. leadership and win the next generation of mobile technology."
The $400 million Advanced Wireless Research Initiative will be funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), which will also lead the cause, and an additional $35 million in investments will come from telecom companies such as AT&T, Intel, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon.
"Collectively, these spectrum policy and research efforts will accelerate the deployment of a new generation of wireless networks that are up to 100 times faster than today," the White House wrote in a press release. "These super-fast, ultra-low latency, high-capacity networks will enable breakthrough applications for consumers, smart cities, and the Internet of Things that cannot even be imagined today."
The foundation also pledged more than $350 million to finance various tests, including finding ways to restore important communication channels following a natural disaster, as well as reducing latency or how it takes for data to respond on a smartphone or other device.
So, what's with the White House's sudden fascination with 5G? Currently, 4G LTE is the gold standard in wireless connectivity, but it is also an aging one that has been in use for the past several years. With that in mind, researchers have been looking for ways to leave the aging tech behind and move on to 5G mobile service. Furthermore, as more people start to use connected tablets and other devices and rely on wireless services, the need for ultra-high-speed, high-bandwidth and low-latency (rapid-response) wireless connectivity will only increase.
The administration outlined possible advancements the research could yield, such as mobile phones and tablets that can download a movie in less than five seconds, improved self-driving vehicles, virtual reality simulators to help workers develop new skills, live high-res video transmissions from first-responders to emergency rooms, and gigabit-speed wireless broadband available in public places and businesses.
Of course, although the White House's interest in 5G may be new, various tech companies have been in the thick of things for quite some time. For example, HTC, Intel, Nokia, Samsung, Qualcomm and AT&T have all been doing their own 5G research for quite some time, but with this announcement, they have pledged to support the government's research projects, as well as offer financial support, engineering equipment and guidance.
The NSF plans to begin building the testing platforms in still-unannounced cities in 2017.
