US FCC chief says he would oppose a national 5G network

WASHINGTON, Jan 29 (Reuters) - The head of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission on Monday said he would oppose a federal government move to build and run a national, super-fast 5G wireless network, calling any such effort "costly and counterproductive."

"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," FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey and Katanga Johnson Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)