WASHINGTON, DC, United States (Xinhua) — The White House announced Friday it will invest more than US$400 million to support 5G wireless research to maintain the country’s leadership in the mobile technology world.

The so-called Advanced Wireless Research Initiative, led by the National Science Foundation (NSF), will launch four city-scale testing platforms for 5G wireless research over the next decade, the White House said in a statement.

The NSF committed more than US$50 million to enable the construction of these research platforms, while more than 20 companies and private sector associations, including Intel, Samsung, and AT&T, cumulatively pledged more than US$35 million in cash and in kind towards this effort.

The NSF will also invest US$350 million over the next seven years in academic research to utilise these testing platforms.

The announcement came just one day after the Federal Communications Commission voted to begin opening up vast amounts of high frequency spectra to prepare the United States for 5G networks.

“Collectively, these spectrum policy and research efforts will accelerate the deployment of a new generation of wireless networks that are up to 100 times faster than today,” the White House statement said.

“These super-fast, ultra-low latency, high-capacity networks will enable breakthrough applications for consumers, smart cities, and the Internet of things that cannot even be imagined today.”

The White House outlined possible advances the initiative could help bring in the next decade.

For example, users can download full-length HD movies in less than five seconds, 100 times faster than 4G and 25,000 times faster than 3G.

Semi- or fully-autonomous vehicles could communicate with the outside world and with each other to improve travel efficiency and safety.

In addition, gigabit-speed wireless broadband could be available in businesses, public transportation stations, stadiums, campuses, schools, malls, parks, and other public spaces.