Trump said Friday at the White House that building high-speed networks across the United States will transform the way Americans work, learn, communicate and travel.
5G will mean faster wireless speeds and has implications for technologies like self-driving cars and augmented reality.
The rollout started last week in the U.S. and South Korea but will take years.
Trump says, "We must not rest. The race is far from over."
The White House says that Trump understands the country must invest in visionary projects to "dominate the industries of the future and lead America into the 21st century."
The U.S. communications regulator will hold a massive auction to bolster 5G service, the next generation of mobile networks, and will spend $20 billion for rural internet.
5G will mean faster wireless speeds and has implications for technologies like self-driving cars and augmented reality. The rollout started last week in the U.S. and South Korea but will take years.
The Federal Communications Commission said Friday that it would hold the largest auction in U.S. history, of 3,400 megahertz, to boost wireless companies' networks.
The FCC also says it will repurpose funds from existing programs to provide $20.4 billion connecting up to 4 million rural homes and small businesses to high-speed internet. There are 24 million Americans without access to broadband, and the problem is worst in rural areas.