House advances McCaul’s 5G bill

U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) commended action on Wednesday by the U.S. House of Representatives to advance his bipartisan 5G legislation, which he said holds the promise to create millions of jobs and add hundreds of billions of dollars to the United States economy.

Rep. McCaul in July 2019 sponsored the Promoting United States International Leadership in 5G Act of 2019, H.R. 3763, with lead original cosponsor U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) to provide assistance and technical expertise to enhance U.S. leadership in international bodies that set standards for 5th generation and future mobile telecommunications technology, among other provisions, according to the congressional record summary.

The U.S. House on Jan. 8 gave voice vote approval to H.R. 3763 and passed several other 5G-related measures.

“The standards which are set at the international bodies such as the ITU and 3GPP are critical to the future of 5G,” Rep. McCaul said on the House floor prior to the chamber’s vote on the bill, referring to the United Nations’ International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which sets guidelines for the 3rd Generation Partnership Project. “They establish a uniform criterion across devices, markets and more.”

The congressman added that such standards for many years were adopted on merit.

“However, over the last few years, China has been using coercive and underhanded tactics at international bodies to adopt Chinese technology in 5G standards,” he said. “These efforts unfairly benefit Chinese companies and empower the Communist Party of China.”

Rep. McCaul said that H.R. 3763 “will ensure the U.S. maintains, and in some cases increases, leadership at the international standards setting bodies” by creating an interagency working group to provide assistance and technical expertise to enhance the nation’s representation and leadership at the standards-setting bodies.

If enacted, the bill also would provide an assessment of Chinese activities at the international bodies, the congressman said.

“This assessment will help us to ensure that the standards setting bodies are not unduly influenced to adopt standards that unfairly advantage Communist Party of China-connected and supported companies like Huawei,” he said. “China seeks to control critical industries by making them reliant on Chinese technologies and companies.”