5G has sparked a tech war between the world’s two biggest economies, and it’s easy to understand why given the transformative power of the new wireless standard.
The stakes are high for industries around the world, as global spending on the internet of things is forecast to exceed US$1 trillion in 2022, up from an estimated US$745 billion this year.
The stakes are high for the US to put its mobile infrastructure expansion in order as it competes against China for 5G leadership.
With the government’s recent grant of commercial 5G licences, major telecoms industry players are expected to drive more initiatives in tele-diagnosis, remote surgeries and smart hospitals across China.
The US has found itself without a telecommunications hardware champion that can compete with major 5G players such as China’s Huawei Technologies, Finland’s Nokia and Sweden’s Ericsson.
A US-led campaign to block the deployment of 5G equipment from Huawei is threatening the Chinese company’s business in Europe, its biggest overseas market.
