Former Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Reed Hundt said on Monday that the United States should start pushing for more efforts to catch up to China in terms of 5G technology deployment.
In an interview with CNBC, Hundt explained that the move "is a national imperative" that will put the U.S. at par with China and other countries now leading the way in 5G network construction and deployment.
Hundt, who led the FCC for four years, noted that there are two ways through which the U.S. can ramp up efforts in 5G technology. He said one of these is approving the federal trial between Sprint and T-Mobile.
For Hundt, the merger will open doors for easier 5G network deployment around the country since more companies will be encouraged to collaborate for the technology. However, several states have called against approving the trial.
Next, Hundt, said the White House should allow for additional room for the 5G spectrum so interested companies can make the necessary purchases for building networks and improving infrastructure for the technology.
Hundt's comments came amid China's rise in the tech sector. The Asian economic giant has been pouring efforts in 5G and other high-end technology over the past few years, including cooperation with other countries to build their 5G networks.
Last week, Qualcomm President Cristiano Amon forecasted that China will lead the entire world in 5G tech in the near future due to increased efforts by the government to deploy the technology in several ways.
According to Xinhua, Amon said, "I think China is doing the right thing with an accelerated the rollout of this technology." Amon's statements came months after Beijing approved 5G licenses for China Unicom, China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Broadcasting Network.
Amon added that China had an early understanding of how 5G will rule the internet and connect businesses and society in many ways in the future, which is why the world's second-largest economy decided to speed up deployment.
The China Academy of Information and Communications Technology predicted that 5G will most likely pave the way for over eight million jobs to be created within a decade or so. In this case, the Chinese the market has a massive role to play in making it happen.
Last month, it was revealed that China Mobile successfully deployed almost 50,000 base stations for high-speed internet connection tech. The mobile services giant currently services 50 cities in the country.
It is expected that the numbers will increase over the coming years, especially with other tech giants such as Huawei joining the race.
