Spanberger measure to protect 5G infrastructure passes Senate

A measure led by Virginia Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger that would build a national strategy to protect 5G telecommunications systems in the United States and among U.S. allies passed the U.S. Senate this week.

The Spanberger-led Secure 5G and Beyond Act would require the administration to develop an unclassified, national strategy to protect U.S. consumers and assist allies in maximizing the security of their 5G telecommunications systems.

This strategy would also identify additional ways to spur research and development by U.S. companies in a way that maintains reliable internet access.

In January, the House voted 413-3 to pass the House version of Spanberger’s Secure 5G and Beyond Act.

The Senate voted unanimously on Wednesday to pass its own version of the measure, introduced by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.

That bill now returns for a vote in the U.S. House before heading to President Trump’s desk.

“Without a strategic, long-term gameplan to defend our networks from foreign-based 5G threats, we are putting the privacy of American consumers and companies at risk. Especially as we see the potential for close coordination between the Chinese military, Chinese intelligence services, and Chinese tech firms like Huawei and ZTE, we must be prepared for the national security challenges of the next generation,” Spanberger said.

“My Secure 5G and Beyond Act puts our country on a path toward preventing our telecom infrastructure from being compromised, and I’m proud to see my bipartisan legislation pass in the Senate today. I’d like to thank Sen. Cornyn for his commitment to strengthening the cybersecurity of American families and businesses and for his cooperation on this critical legislation. By laying the foundation for a nationwide, publicly-available 5G strategy, we are one step closer to mitigating the serious dangers posed by entities like Huawei and ZTE.”

Spanberger introduced her bipartisan legislation in the U.S. House last May alongside Susan W. Brooks (R-IN-05), Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ-01), Francis Rooney (R-FL-19), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-08), and Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21).