The rollout of 5th generation cellular networks worldwide has become a national security issue for the United States and a point of contention not only with China but also Europe. 5G networks and their revolutionary data-transfer speeds will enable major advances in artificial intelligence, remote control of robots and cars, and an exponential increase in the connectivity among the Internet of Things. Chinese companies have the most affordable software to power the global move to 5G. Is giving them effective control of the global data stream a smart risk, given the costs of alternatives?