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Why local governments should welcome driverless cars and 5G networks

Technological advancement that changes the way everyday consumers live seems to come in pairs — affordable automobiles and television, the internet and cellphones, autonomous vehicles and ultrafast 5G mobile data networks. And where there’s innovation, regulation tends to follow.

A group of auto manufacturers and tech companies including Intel, BMW, Nokia, and Huawei recently announced the formation of the 5G Automotive Association aimed at speeding the development and adoption of 5G networks by overcoming both technical and regulatory obstacles. Auto manufacturers and mobile companies alike envision a future where autonomous vehicles and 5G networks — which will offer up to 100 times current mobile data speeds — work together to improve safety, efficiency, and in-vehicle entertainment. However, while the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) plans to create a favorable regulatory environment for 5G networks, local governments play a critical role in allowing the technology to revolutionize people’s lives.

{mosads}It’s a decision governments will have to make since autonomous vehicles and 5G networks are becoming a reality. Currently, 5G networks are still in development. T-Mobile and Ericsson announced on Sept. 20 that they have reached mobile data speeds of 12 Gbps, which is ridiculously fast. Huawei estimates that the first 5G networks will roll out in limited settings as early as 2018 and reach consumers in 2020.

Interestingly, 2020 is also the year some of the first autonomous vehicles will likely go on sale. Audi, for instance, promises to have a fully autonomous electric Sedan available for sale in 2020. The technologies will grow together since consumers, freed from the demands of driving, will increasingly demand more data at faster speeds. Plus, the vehicles themselves will use the ultrafast networks to communicate with each other and smart infrastructure.

However, just as autonomous vehicles need a light regulatory hand, so do 5G networks. While 5G networks will be fast and high capacity, they will also be relatively short range and will require many, many small towers in a given area rather than a few large ones. Given that carriers often face slowness and even resistance from local governments when trying to get permission to build towers, the biggest challenge for 5G networks will likely come in the form of city councils rather than technical hurdles.

Fortunately, on the federal level, FCC chairman Tom Wheeler said earlier this month that his agency would take “a light-touch regulatory approach” towards 5G technology.

“What do we need to do to seize the 5G opportunity?” Wheeler rhetorically asked his audience. “The answer, of course, starts with competition.”

This is exactly correct.

Auto manufacturers and tech companies are aggressively developing autonomous vehicles, especially in the favorable regulatory environment of Michigan, partly for fear of being late to the autonomous party and partly in the hope that they can become the main event. Mobile companies face similar pressures both in terms of developing the technology and rolling it out into markets. It’s hard to compete with your rival when they can deliver 100 times the data speed you can, so it’s best to be offering the same or superior service.

However, the FCC can’t and shouldn’t force local communities to permit the new infrastructure needed for 5G networks. Instead, Wheeler said that he wants to see his agency and industry players work together to inform local governments about the advantages of 5G technology, ranging from better health care to more efficient energy grids to the numerous benefits for autonomous and connected vehicles.

Perhaps the 5G Automotive Association can be a part of that process of convincing local governments to welcome 5G networks. After all, who wouldn’t want access to 12 Gbps mobile data while their car drives them to work?

Grant Broadhurst’s work has appeared in The American Spectator, RealClearPolicy, and Watchdog News. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of North Florida and is a Young Voices Advocate. Find him on Twitter: @GWBroadhurst


The views expressed by authors are their own and not the views of The Hill.