Hey, Pentagon, same 5G team! Print this article The main lesson from Wednesday's Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on emerging technology was quite simple: The Pentagon needs to come to the table with industry. Unfortunately, what should have been a slap on the wrist became a huge pat on the Pentagon's back. The committee did not hold the Defense Department accountable for hoarding spectrum, such as the frequencies necessary for 5G. Currently, our networks are not able to handle the imminent onslaught of 25.1 billion new Internet of Things devices. If our networks are not upgraded to 5G, their integrity will be degraded and more vulnerable to foreign cyberattacks. If the Pentagon and lawmakers on this committee continue to make 5G political, then we forfeit our leadership in the space to those who seek to cause us harm and make our nation’s security less secure. At the hearing, Microsoft President Brad Smith opened his statement by rightfully stating that "innovations in cloud and edge services, artificial intelligence, and 5G are already having a direct and practical impact on the nation’s defense."