Trump Wants '5G' and 'Even 6G' Wireless Technology 'As Soon As Possible.' What's That?

5G is the latest and greatest in wireless technology, but it's taking a while to deploy

time.com

I want 5G, and even 6G, technology in the United States as soon as possible. It is far more powerful, faster, and smarter than the current standard. American companies must step up their efforts, or get left behind. There is no reason that we should be lagging behind on.........

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 21, 2019

....something that is so obviously the future. I want the United States to win through competition, not by blocking out currently more advanced technologies. We must always be the leader in everything we do, especially when it comes to the very exciting world of technology!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 21, 2019

Unfortunately, you probably can’t take advantage of any 5G speeds yet because there are so few 5G networks and devices available for consumers. Right now, Verizon has a version of 5G providing homes with high-speed wireless connectivity, though it’s only available in a handful of cities.

As for this 6G technology Trump is talking about? While that will most likely be the name given to the next logical step in the advancement of cellular technology, no such standard has been defined, and any talk of G6 is purely theoretical at this point — we’re only just starting to deploy 5G, after all. That isn’t to say it’s not being thought of; research on the merits and potential uses for 6G (also known as “6Genesis”) is being conducted at Finland’s University of Oulu, for instance. Still, with an estimated debut in 2030, don’t hold your breath.

US cell carriers are selling access to your real-time phone location data

The company embroiled in a privacy row has "direct connections" to all major US wireless carriers, including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint -- and Canadian cell networks, too.

www.zdnet.com|Zack Whittaker

The story blew up because a former police sheriff snooped on phone location data without a warrant, according The New York Times. The sheriff has pleaded not guilty to charges of unlawful surveillance.

Yet little is known about how LocationSmart obtained the real-time location data on millions of Americans, how the required consent from cell user owners was obtained, and who else has access to the data.

Kevin Bankston, director of New America's Open Technology Institute, explained in a phone call that the Electronic Communications Privacy Act only restricts telecom companies from disclosing data to the government. It doesn't restrict disclosure to other companies, who then may disclose that same data to the government.

He called that loophole "one of the biggest gaps in US privacy law."

LocationSmart, a California-based technology company, is one of a handful of so-called data aggregators. It claimed to have "direct connections" to cell carrier networks to obtain real-time cell phone location data from nearby cell towers.

Verizon, one of many cell carriers that sells access to its vast amounts of customer location data, counts LocationSmart as a close partner.

"With these location sources, we are able to locate virtually any US based mobile devices," the company claimed.

LocationSmart also said it allows some customers to obtain "implied" consent, used on a case-by-case basis, when "the nature of the service implies that location will be used."

Trumps says he told his Commerce Department to lift a trade ban on Chinese phone company ZTE

ZTE, which has more than 70,000 employees and has supplied networks or equipment to some of the world's biggest telecoms companies, said in early May that it ha

www.businessinsider.com|Associated Press

• President Donald Trump has instructed his Commerce Department to help get a Chinese telecommunications company get "back into business" after the US government cut off access to its American suppliers for 7 years
• The US accused ZTE of misleading American regulators after it settled charges of violating sanctions against North Korea and Iran.
• As one of the world's largest telecom equipment makers, ZTE relied on US companies for components.

President Xi of China, and I, are working together to give massive Chinese phone company, ZTE, a way to get back into business, fast. Too many jobs in China lost. Commerce Department has been instructed to get it done!

— Donald J. Trump‏ @realDonaldTrump May 13, 2018

• Adam Schiff warns of cybersecurity threat from ZTE, CNN
• In About-Face on Trade, Trump Vows to Protect ZTE Jobs in China, NYTimes
• Penalties against China telecom giant ZTE become a bargaining chip as White House, Chinese officials discuss potential trade deal, Washington Post

the agency's apparently fabricated DDoS attack, there's more than a few indicators that the agency is eager to malign the integrity of the public feedback period in order to try and downplay the massive public backlash to its handout to the telecom industry.

Others have since continued to dig through the names used to support Ajit Pai's attack on net neutrality -- and continue to find that many of them had never visited the FCC website, had no idea what net neutrality is, or were no longer breathing. Like John Skalski of Sharpsburg, Georgia -- who back in May purportedly submitted this (factually incorrect) comment to the FCC comment proceeding. Note its content is different from the bot-generated comments that had been methodically submitted already

• Ajit Pai, Trump, Republicans, USTelecom and Commercial Data Brokers are going to legalize what’s good for you.
• If New FCC Boss Ajit Pai Is So 'Pro Consumer,' Why Does The Telecom Industry Need To Pay People To Say So?

The FCC Wants to Eliminate Net Neutrality Protections. We Can't Let That Happen.

In 2015, following years of dedicated activism – including individual actions by millions of Internet users – Team Internet scored a crucial victory: clear, enforceable protections for net neutrality. The new head of the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) wants to take away those protections and allow broadband providers like Comcast and AT&T to become permanent Internet gatekeepers. The good news is we can stop him.

www.eff.org

• ISPs can throttle a user’s connection
• Give preferential treatment to services. Faster downloads for one product while slowing another
• Block specific content and services
• Charge for “fast lanes”
• Eliminate unlimited data plans

What do we get instead? ISPs have to promise, cross their hearts and hope to die, to include certain net neutrality “principles” in their terms of service.  The ISPs will doubtless jump at the chance, because they know what we know: artfully drafted pledges and promises don’t mean much when there’s no firm legal obligation to back them up.

In theory, of course, there is a way to enforce terms of service commitments. Pai’s plan would reportedly rely on the Federal Trade Commission to go after service providers that violate their promises, on the theory that any such violation would be an unfair and deceptive business practice. 

But as The Verge’s Nilay Patel, and former FCC Counselor Gigi Sohn points out, companies change their terms of service all the time, and as yet we haven’t heard of anything in Pai’s plan that would stop them from doing so. Moreover, it’s not clear that all ISPs would have to make those promises. 

As Sohn explains, “Another name for the Pai Plan might be “Just Trust Us.” Hardly a comforting thought in a market where ISPs face little competition and serve as the sole gatekeeper to the [I]nternet.”

On April 26, more than 800 startups, innovators, investors, and entrepreneurial support organizations from all 50 states joined Engine, Y Combinator, and Techstars in sending a message to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai

"People will see right through Chairman Pai's dishonest plan," said Craig Aaron, CEO of DC-based public interest group Free Press. "As they have before, they will fight back in Congress, at the FCC and in their communities. They will use the internet to save the internet—and they will remember where their leaders in Washington stood when the future of net neutrality was in jeopardy."

Senate Republicans just gave internet providers the green light to sell your web browsing data without getting your consent first

The Senate on Thursday voted to kill a set of FCC rules that would've forced internet providers to get your explicit consent before selling your browsing data.

www.businessinsider.com|Jeff Dunn

In a victory for internet service providers like Verizon, Comcast, and AT&T, the US Senate on Thursday voted to kill a set of Obama-era privacy regulations passed by the Federal Communication Commission last October.

The rules would have required ISPs to get explicit consent before sharing consumers’ web browsing data and other personal info with advertisers.

The vote passed 50 to 48, with most Republicans in favor of the repeal and most Democrats against.

They were voting on a resolution proposed earlier this month by Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and co-sponsored by 24 other Republicans that broadly calls for the FCC’s rules to “have no force or effect.”

Current FCC chairman Ajit Pai has strongly opposed those privacy rules, and voted against them as a commissioner last October. Last month, he halted one part of the privacy rules that would’ve broadly required ISPs to “engage in reasonable data security practices.” Pai and GOP commissioner Michael O’Rielly currently have a 2-1 majority at the agency.