The expectations around 5G are high. This technology will be part of the global economy and public services as early as next year, and will change our daily life and services. The American Corner@IST invited Nathan Leamer to visit Técnico and to share his view on this topic. Nathan Leamer is the Vice-president for Public Affairs at Targeted Victory and former Chairman’s Policy Advisor of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) – an independent U.S. government agency that plays a major role in the development and implementation of 5G FAST Plan (Facilitate America’s Superiority in 5G Technology).

“5G is 100 times speedier than our typical 4G cellular connections. 5G is expected to add $500 billion to our economy”, said Nathan Leamer. In his speech, Nathan Leamer focused on FCC’s 5G Fast Plan, which he defined “a comprehensive strategy to facilitate America’s superiority in 5G technology”. “FCC is updating its infrastructure policy and encouraging the private sector to invest in these types of networks”, he added. He also shared that the White House endorsed this strategy as the primary approach for US 5G policy.

The US expert pointed out the risks and vulnerabilities of 5G, namely virus, data-stealing and many more. The 5G network is designed to connect an unlimited number of devices. According to Nathan Leamer, this emerging technology will impact on mobility, agriculture and telemedicine. However, “there are major underlying risks and we must act with caution”, so that citizens and national security will not be put at risk.