China’s Huawei set to lead global roll-out of 5G mobile networks
While projects to start building the next-generation mobile networks are a year away, Huawei has signed at least 25 agreements with telecommunications operators in Europe and Asia to trial its 5G-ready equipment.
Huawei Technologies is forging closer commercial ties with big telecommunications operators across Europe and Asia, putting the Chinese company in prime position to lead the global race for next-generation 5G networks despite allegations by the United States that it poses a security threat.
Shenzhen-based Huawei’s dominant position in China – set to become the world’s biggest 5G market by far – is well-documented.
The privately held technology company, however, has also made inroads in the rest of world to compete with rivals Ericsson and Nokia in several lucrative markets, including countries that are long-standing US allies.
5G networks, now in the testing stage, will rely on denser arrays of small antennas and the cloud to offer data speeds up to 50 or 100 times faster than current 4G networks, and serve as critical infrastructure for a range of industries.
Deals to start building 5G networks are still largely a year away, but Huawei has signed 25 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with telecoms network operators to trial its 5G-ready equipment, a Reuters review of company reports and announcements found.
These MoUs – pre-cursors to potential commercial contracts – include agreements with Britain’s BT, Bell Canada (BCE), France’s Orange, Germany’s Deutsche Telekom and global player Vodafone.