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5G Technology, U.S. - China Race, And the Competition for Dominance

University of Mississippi

eGrove

Honors Theses, Honors College (Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College)

Spring 5-1-2021

Rhodes M. Walker

University of Mississippi Main Campus

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Recommended Citation Walker, Rhodes M., “5G Technology, U.S. - China Race, And the Competition for Dominance” (2021). Honors Theses. 1742. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/1742

This Undergraduate Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Honors College (Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College) at eGrove. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of eGrove. For more information, please contact [email protected].

  1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  2. ABSTRACT
  3. Table of Contents
  4. Research Questions
  5. Methodology

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My deepest gratitude goes out to my thesis advisor, Dr. Mark Chen, whom supported me through this endeavor. I would also like to thank my second reader, Professor Wesley Yates, for aiding me in the completion of this thesis. Both of you not only contributed to my success in this paper, but have poured into me as a student throughout my four years at the University of Mississippi. I also extend my thanks to Dr. Gang Guo for his formative guidance in the writing and completing of my thesis.

I must thank the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, Lott Leadership Institute, and the Center for Intelligence and Security Studies for enhancing my opportunities in life by developing me to become a lifelong learner and productive member of society. I would also like to thank these institutes for giving me the opportunity to grow over four years with mentors, peers, and friends from each of these places, which will always be special to me. Without these institutes, I would not be the person or student I am today. I must also thank all my professors from my four years of undergraduate for the impact they have made on me as a student at this university.

Lastly and most importantly, I would like to thank my friends and family, for supporting and encouraging me throughout this process and all of my undergraduate studies to be the best I can be. I want to especially thank my parents, Michael and Alice Walker, for always supporting me to keep pressing on and trusting my faith even when life gets hard. I want to thank each of my siblings, Neely, Eli, and Smith, for always having my back and never doubting me. To my friends and fellow SMBHC scholars, thank you for pushing me to be my best, both personally and academically. Without all of you, I would not be the person I am today.

ABSTRACT

5G Technology, U.S.- China Race, and the Competition for Dominance By: Rhodes Michael Walker Under the Direction of Dr. Mark Chen

For much of the 21st century, the United States and China have been competing to determine which world superpower will have the upper-hand for decades to come. The creation of 5G networks has raised new questions which are imperative to understanding the outlook for the competition between the United States and China for global dominance. This thesis sought to answer the question: Why would implementing the first 5G networks be the key to global dominance for the next decade or longer? In addressing this question, this thesis discusses the current state of 5G networks in China, the U.S., and Europe and puts the 5G technology and networks in the context of U.S.- China race and competition for dominance. This thesis projects that China will implement 5G technology before the United States, which will give China advantages in the economic, cyber, and political sectors and could very well give China the advantages in U.S.-China race and competition for dominance in the foreseeable future. A deeper understanding of the importance of 5G networks would have significant policy and security implications for the U.S. Data for this research were compiled from primary and secondary sources through archive research as the methodology.

Table of Contents

  • COPYRIGHT

  • ABSTRACT

  • TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • RESEARCH QUESTIONS

  • METHODOLOGY

  • CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

  • CHAPTER 2: HISTORY OF 5G

    • I. WHAT IS 5G

    • II. WHERE DID 5G START?

    • III. IMPROVEMENT ON CURRENT TECHNOLOGY

  • CHAPTER 3: CHINA AND 5G

    • I. HUAWEI

  • CHAPTER 4: UNITED STATES AND 5G

    • I. MISCONCEPTION OF 5G IN THE UNITED STATES

    • II. QUALCOMM

  • CHAPTER 5: EUROPE AND 5G

    • I. EUROPEAN UNION ACTION IN 5G RACE

    • II. ERICCSON

  • CHAPTER 6: THE CONTEXT OF 5G COMPETITION: U.S.-CHINA RELATIONSHIP

    • I. U.S.-CHINA RELATIONSHIP IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

    • II. COMPETITION IN TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY CONCERNS AGAINST HUAWEI

    • III SANCTIONS AGAINST HUAWEI

  • CHAPTER 7: ASSESSMENTS AND PROJECTIONS

    • I. THE IMPORTANCE OF 5G NETWORKS FOR DOMINANCE

    • II. THE IMPORTANCE OF WINNING THE RACE FOR 5G BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND CHINA

    • III. THE WINNER OF THE RACE FOR 5G NETWORKS: CHINA

    • IV. CHINESE COUNTRY GOALS FOR 5G NETWORKS

    • V. FUTURE SECURITY IMPLICATIONS OF CHINESE 5G NETWORKS

  • CHAPTER 8: POLICY IMPLICATIONS AND RESPONSES

    • I. UNITED STATES POLICY RESPONSES TO CHINA

    • II. FUTURE EUROPEAN RESPONSES TO U.S. PRESSURE AND CHINESE PRESSURE

  • CHAPTER 9: CONCLUSION AND OUTLOOK

  • LIST OF REFERENCES

Research Questions

Primary:

  • How will implementing the first 5G networks be the key to world dominance for the next decade or longer?

Secondary:

  • Who will win the race for the first 5G networks between the United States and China?

  • What are the security risks of 5G networks?

  • What industries will 5G change, and how will these industries affect the country that implements 5G networks first?

  • How will implementing the first 5G networks allow the United States or China to be the world superpower for the next 20 years?

  • How does the U.S.-Chinese relationship affect the race for 5G network implementation?

  • What are possible Chinese goals for 5G networks?

  • How will the race for 5G networks impact policy decisions in the U.S., China, and Europe?

Methodology

The main method of research used in this work was the qualitative analysis of primary and secondary sources. Much of my research, which was used predominantly in Chapters 2 through 6, was collected through scholarly works, journal articles, cyberrelated articles, podcasts, news reports, and relevant social media content. These pieces provided specific information about 5G networks, the companies creating these networks, and the competition between the United States and China. Most of these pieces were written within the past two years because of the constant changing nature of the 5G landscape and changing relations between the United States and China. The data and research analyzed was then used to assess the impact that 5G networks and technology will have on the world as well as project the future winner of the race for 5G between the United States and China.

I selected the sources utilized in this work by researching 5G articles across the internet to find relevant and trustworthy sources and authors to best assess the impacts 5G will have on the world and whether the United States or China will implement the first functioning 5G networks. Research for this thesis was collected until March 1, 2021, so that the thesis could be as accurate as possible while not taking away from the core of the research question.

Table of contents