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Wheeler Urges National Policy to Make 5G Networks More Secure

Former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler warned Tuesday there's “little formal oversight” of how U.S. providers implement the 5G standard and its open radio access network protocols. “Not only is there no comprehensive identification and assignment of the risk responsibilities inherent…

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in 5G, but also the networks are free to pick and choose which of the security components they intend to implement,” Wheeler said in a Strand Consult blog post: “Securing the network essential for the ‘smart’ era but built using hackable software from a diverse collection of suppliers should not be a voluntary proposition.” Wheeler backs a national policy establishing “expectations for the security and behavior of all 5G networks.” 5G “can usher in a new era of wondrous capabilities that will help consumers, companies, and communities,” he said: “It can help grow the economy with new exportable products and increased productivity. But failure to assure its security will slow deployment, suppress use case demand signals, impair the ability to protect intellectual property, chill 5G investment, and expose critical infrastructure to increased risk of catastrophic failures.”