5G and Wireless Networks

Wireless networks of the fifth generation and earlier are the mobile communication systems that carry calls, messages, video, and data between devices and towers. They depend on radio spectrum, which the government manages. The Federal Communications Commission, other federal agencies, carriers, and equipment makers are involved.

People usually ask how each generation of wireless technology differs, who gets to use which frequencies, and how coverage reaches rural areas. They also ask how the cost of building towers and small cells is shared and how national security concerns affect network equipment.