Public Perceptions of 5G Technologies

Public perceptions of emerging technologies, such as fifth-generation (5G) communication, can affect the adoption of these technologies. Integrating 5G wireless technologies into the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) mission could increase the safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of efforts to support DHS's responsibilities to safeguard critical infrastructure and conduct missions across the homeland security enterprise. These potential benefits could be delayed or prevented if there are significant public concerns about the use of 5G technology and technology enabled by 5G. Research is needed to understand these public perceptions and their potential impact on DHS mission effectiveness and to design a path forward for the most-effective research, development, procurement, and employment of emerging 5G technologies. Understanding the relationship between public perceptions and 5G technologies (including relevant conspiracy theories and concerns about data collection and privacy more generally) could help increase the likelihood that the public will embrace 5G applications and expedite the transition of the technology and the associated benefits, such as securing critical infrastructure. Understanding the public perceptions of government and public use of these technologies could also help DHS mitigate these perceptions' potential negative impacts on mission effectiveness. To investigate these perceptions of 5G technologies, researchers used a combination of literature review, social network and lexical analysis, reviews of existing data and studies in the commercial space, interviews, focus groups, workshops, and expert panel interviews. This report summarizes their findings and recommendations.