GAO Identifies Challenges in Implementing 5G in Government

The Government Accountability Office has identified five challenges in the deployment and development of 5G across the federal government. In a report, GAO highlighted the following areas: spectrum management, infrastructure deployment, cybersecurity, digital divide and privacy. The agency defined 5G as a technology that boosts data speeds and transforms sectors such as transportation, manufacturing and medicine, MeriTalk reported.

In the report, GAO said its benefits include reliable connections, higher energy efficiency, the ability to accommodate more devices, and faster network response times.

GAO added that federal agencies must consider the needs of existing network users while it allocates spectrum for the technology.

The government must also account for the skilled labor and local planning required to roll out the necessary infrastructure such as fiber optic cables and small cells.