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Visitors are seen at the 5G Arena during the 2019 Hanover Fair in Germany on April 1. Making an influx of mobile spectrum available to the US telecoms industry over the next five years is expected to add US$391 billion to the nation’s economy and create 1.8 million new jobs, according to a new study. Photo: Xinhua

US catches up with China in 5G readiness as race heats up for ultra-fast mobile networks

  • US leads in planned commercial deployments in 2019, but China has hundreds of large-scale 5G trials
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The United States has tied with China in the lead for global 5G readiness, as the world’s two largest economies race to deploy next-generation telecommunications networks that will help power the industrial internet, autonomous driving and smart cities, among a range of new mobile applications.

The US moved from third place in 2018 to tie China at first this year in the latest study on the 5G commitments of countries by telecoms research firm Analysys Mason. It also ranked South Korea, which unveiled its initial roll-out of 5G mobile services on Wednesday, as well as Japan and the UK among the top five in global 5G readiness.

The first large-scale 5G deployments are already happening in communities across America, according to Meredith Attwell Baker, the president and chief executive of US trade association CTIA.

The US “has made impressive strides in the 5G race, thanks to the commitment of the administration, Congress and the Federal Communications Commission to smart policies”, said Attwell Baker in a statement.

Making an influx of mobile spectrum available to the US telecoms industry over the next five years is expected to add US$391 billion to the nation’s economy and create 1.8 million new jobs, according to a separate research conducted by Analysis Group.

The findings of Analysys Mason as well as the Analysys Group are included in a new paper published this week by the CTIA, which represents the interests of the country’s telecoms network operators, equipment manufacturers, mobile app developers and content creators.

“A National Spectrum Strategy that gives the wireless industry more room to innovate will ensure we win the global 5G race,” Attwell Baker said.

The race to 5G network leadership has intensified amid the strain in US and China relations owing to heightened trade tensions, military showdowns and diplomatic rows.

That has been complicated by the Trump administration’s pressure to get 5G equipment from Huawei Technologies banned in mobile networks around the world over alleged security concerns and after a US indictment that accuses the Chinese company of financial fraud and violation of trade sanctions against Iran, among nearly two dozen charges.

US pressure on its allies, however, has mostly fallen on deaf ears. Last month, the European Commission refused to ban Huawei outright, telling member-countries that they were responsible for assessing telecoms network risks.

Shenzhen-based Huawei, the world’s largest telecoms equipment supplier, and crosstown rival ZTE Corp are China’s champions in 5G. The technology offers faster data rates, reduced latency, energy savings, cost reductions, higher system capacity and massive device connectivity, compared with previous generations of mobile network systems.

In the absence of a local 5G systems champion, major US telecoms network operators, including AT&T, Verizon Communications and Sprint, have announced they will work with Finland’s Nokia, Ericsson of Sweden and South Korea’s Samsung Electronics as their 5G equipment suppliers.

The Analysys Mason research found that the US leads in the availability of high- and low-band spectrum for 5G, but behind in mid-band spectrum availability. Mid-band spectrum is critical to 5G because it provides high bandwidth capacity and the ability to cover large geographic areas. Other countries plan to make over four times more licensed mid-band spectrum available than the US by 2020.

While the US has significantly improved its position in the 5G race, a number of challenges remain that must be addressed to overcome China’s efforts in the long term, according to Analysys Mason.

It said China retains a significant infrastructure advantage. A recent study showed China with more than 14 wireless cell sites per 10,000 people, compared to 4.7 in the US, and more than five sites per every 10 square miles (25.9 square kilometres), compared to 0.4 in the US.

While the US leads in planned commercial deployments in 2019, China’s mobile network operators are conducting hundreds of large-scale 5G trials across the country and have announced plans for “pre-commercial” 5G deployments within this year, according to Analysys Mason.

“We can’t be complacent as the 5G race has really just begun. We must redouble our efforts to combat the 5G ambitions and investments by China and others,” said Attwell Baker.

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