Why everyone is freaking out about a White House plan to nationalize the country's 5G data networks

A leaked White House memo that calls for the government to build and control a "5G" next-generation wireless data service drew immediate backlash Monday from industry groups, regulators, and even some within President Trump's own administration. Although the proposal is reportedly dated, its disclosure sparked a debate over how much weight it carries. Both Democrats and Republicans decried the idea of the government stepping so forcefully into an area that has largely been in the hands of private actors. "Any federal effort to construct a nationalized 5G network would be a costly and counterproductive distraction from the policies we need to help the United States win the 5G future," said Ajit Pai, the Republican chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, the nation's top telecom regulator. Pai's criticism was echoed by the rest of the bipartisan commission. The memo, which was first reported by Axios and attributed to Trump national security officials, argues that Chinese companies have come to dominate the market for the chips and antennas necessary for sustaining a 5G wireless network, and that poses security risks for a U.S. 5G network.