A “technological war”, a disruptive technology and a global division. The reason for the new 5G broadband cellular network technology, which is currently in development.
But what is the 5G network and why is it the “apple of contention”?
5G will use new radio frequencies for transmission, with higher bandwidth compared to the lower LTE bands and will offer a huge data rate. Downloads will be faster, more stable and the connection to the mobile network will respond faster. With Huawei leading the implementation of 5G plans, it is gaining more and more ground towards its dominance over the West, in a sector that is considered crucial for the development of telecommunications in the coming years. Chinese investments in these technologies and infrastructure have exceeded 24 billion. These US dollars and from 2015 to the present day, 350,000 new cell phone towers have been built on Chinese soil, a number considerably smaller than the 30,000 in the US.
On the other side of the Atlantic, the US administration of Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency regarding its telecommunications networks, banning access to Huawei devices, under the pretext of cyberespionage for the benefit of the Chinese government.
But how does this dispute affect other countries?
The answer is simple. Each country will be asked to choose which “camp” it will follow, a decision that is not so easy. Apart from the US, only Australia and New Zealand have so far blocked Huawei technology for 5G networks. Some countries, such as the Netherlands and Britain, are in the research phase, while others, such as France and Germany, have stated that they will not rule it out.
The development of next-generation infrastructure is a key point. What will be the final outcome of the “tech war”? Will the two countries be able to join forces, or will it be the beginning of a new tech war?