March 18, 2020
Contact: Jessica Moreno
jmorneo7@gmu.edu
703-993-5620
“The Race to 5G: Securing the Win”
Arlington, VA – On March 18, 2020, the National Security Institute (NSI) at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School published its latest Law and Policy Paper, “The Race to 5G: Securing the Win,” by NSI Fellow Andy Keiser.
This Law and Policy Paper:
- Describes the path and promise of 5G, the potential security implications therein, and United States and international policy responses as networks get deployed globally.
- Evaluates the key issues at stake for U.S. national security and innovation in 5G.
- Argues that the free market will provide better 5G security, and that the threat of Huawei and ZTE in the supply chain cannot be mitigated.
- Proposes actionable recommendations to enhance 5G security, while promoting U.S. and Western-valued leadership in the telecommunications infrastructure needed to power transformative technologies key to America’s economic and national security.
“In a time when the importance of telecommunications infrastructure is paramount, this paper presents a sober assessment of the security risks and opportunities as 5G networks are rolled out all over the globe,” Mr. Keiser said. He continued, “We are at a pivotal moment on whether the West and our allies get the right policies in place to ensure the backbone of the next-generation digital economy is secure from hackers and nation-state attackers, protected from built-in backdoors and yet open to promote the free-market digital commerce key to America’s economic and national security future.”
“This new 5G paper by Andy Keiser strongly lays out the case for U.S. leadership in this critical arena while warning against falling prey to the siren song of nationalization and other bad ideas,” said Jamil N. Jaffer, Founder and Executive Director of the National Security Institute at GMU’s Antonin Scalia Law School. “This paper, which provides actionable recommendations for the US government, should be required reading for those in our government working on these issues and as well as for our allies who face similar threats in the 5G space,” said Mr. Jaffer.
The paper is available here.
Andy Keiser’s bio can be found here.
About the National Security Institute
The National Security Institute serves as a platform for research, teaching, scholarship, and policy development that incorporates a realistic assessment of the threats facing the United States and its allies, as well as an appreciation of the legal and practical challenges facing U.S. intelligence, defense, law enforcement, homeland security, and cybersecurity communities. NSI draws on the experience of its fellows, as well as its highly distinguished advisory board and faculty, to produce timely research and policy materials that deliver insightful analysis and actionable recommendations to senior policymakers in the White House and key departments and agencies, as well as those on Capitol Hill.
About George Mason
George Mason University is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls more than 33,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility.
About the Scalia Law School
The Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University is defined by three words: Learn. Challenge. Lead. Students receive an outstanding legal education (Learn), are taught to critically evaluate prevailing orthodoxy and pursue new ideas (Challenge), and, ultimately, are well prepared to distinguish themselves in their chosen fields (Lead). It has been one of America’s top-ranked law schools for the last fifteen years.