As the global race to scale advanced technologies accelerates, the geopolitical tensions shaping that future are becoming impossible to ignore. Today’s edition highlights how deeply technology, national security, and policy are now intertwined — and how fragmentation may define the next phase of AI and the next generation of Wi-Fi.

Intel finds itself on a sanctions tightrope after reports that it tested semiconductor tools from a firm linked to a sanctioned Chinese unit, raising fresh questions about export controls and supply-chain complexity. Even when companies follow the rules, enforcing clean boundaries in a globally interdependent chip ecosystem is increasingly difficult.

Meanwhile, Washington is moving to shore up its domestic capabilities. The Trump administration plans to launch a U.S. “Tech Force,” recruiting roughly 1,000 specialists from Big Tech to modernize federal systems and accelerate AI adoption across government.

Wi-Fi is experiencing similar global tension. As we approach Wi-Fi 8 certification, 6 GHz fragmentation lingers — and likely isn’t going away. Broadcom’s Chris Szymanski outlines three realistic adoption scenarios, all involving “a degree of fragmentation.” What differs is how far regulators ultimately go in opening or sharing the band.