The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Ajit Pai, criticized the idea of the U.S. government taking control of developing 5G wireless networks.

The reaction was in response to reports that the Trump administration, on a recommendation from the National Security Council, was contemplating using federal money for a 5G network, which could address economic and security concerns related to China.

The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission argued that the federal government taking control of developing 5G networks, as the mobile technology is called, could hurt the private sector and the economy.

"The market, not the government, is best positioned to drive innovation and investment," Mr. Pai said in a statement. "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."

"The United States' leadership in the deployment of 5G is critical and must be done right. Localities have a central role to play; the technical expertise possessed by industry should be utilized; and cybersecurity must be a core consideration. A network built by the federal government, I fear, does not leverage the best approach needed for our nation to win the 5G race," said FCC Commissioner Mignon L. Clyburn.

US Telecom, the trade group that represents telecom and cable broadband providers, said any government-run plan would set back their industry.

It is not yet clear whether The White House is actually planning to create a 5G network.

The U.S. government is concerned about China's involvement in the development of mobile technology and 5G networks, as it could potentially allow the Chinese government to spy on Americans and businesses.

The government has long been suspicious of Huawei, which is behind much of the 5G network development in the country.

Besides the obvious advantages that 5G will bring in terns of data transfer speeds in mobile devices, 5G is also expected to promote the adoption of what is known as the internet of things, where all sorts of machines and appliances connect to the internet.