5G is an exciting technology that could change the way we do things as a country. Sen. Martha Blackburn of Tennessee is passionate about the new technology and making sure it’s accessible to all Americans, not just a privileged few who live in a certain area or can afford a certain device. “This is one of my favorite topics to talk about. How do we get technology into every corner in the country? How do we close the divide?,” Blackburn said. “5G, with all these super-fast data rates, it is going to enable our healthcare providers to do more with telemedicine. It is going to enable surgeons to do surgery remotely,” Blackburn continued, adding that autonomous vehicles are another area in which 5G’s rapid data speeds can have a tremendous influence. For that to happen, and for the U.S. to get the greatest benefit out of a technology like 5G, Blackburn hopes to see more public-private partnerships and more companies working together with the Department of Defense on Research and Development projects that could help both the military and civilians. “What we have to realize is that in the United States, we separate our military and our commerce departments, they aren’t one and the same. What we have to do is have our military partner up with these bright minds and innovators that are in the private sector space,” she said. Increased communication with the DoD also could have benefits for communications providers in other arenas, as well, the Senator noted. The DoD recently announced that 100 megahertz of mid-band spectrum is being made available for 5G, with more spectrum availability a priority.