Veteran GOP strategist Karl Rove is contacting lawmakers' offices on Capitol Hill to warn against bipartisan efforts to ban government control of super-fast 5G wireless technology — a fight that has split President Donald Trump's advisers, Politico reported.
The outreach has included staffers in the office of Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, one of several lawmakers sponsoring the legislation, Politico reported.
Rove has also been at meetings with House and Senate Armed Services committee offices organized by a lobbyist for Rivada Networks, which wants the government to manage the sharing of 5G airwaves with wireless providers, company spokesperson Brian Carney said Thursday. Carney told Politico that Rove is not a lobbyist for the company.
Rivada, which is backed by tech investor and Trump ally Peter Thiel, would have the administration take wireless spectrum from the Defense Department and use a third-party operator — ideally Rivada — to make those airwaves available to providers who need it on a rolling wholesale basis, much like in the electricity market, Politico reported.
Rove has been helping Rivada cultivate a network of advocates to push its 5G concept — pitting them against the telecom industry and many Trump administration officials and lawmakers who believe private companies like AT&T and Verizon should manage the buildout of 5G and Rivada's plan smacks of "nationalization," Politico reported.
The fight comes as the United States races China and other countries to be first to deploy 5G wireless networks.
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