Chapter 9 - Conclusion and Outlook

Chapter 9: Conclusion and Outlook

Chapter 9: Conclusion and Outlook

5G is the key to being the global superpower for the future because of the technological advancements and advantages that come with creating this technology. Areas such as cellular devices, transportation, and cities infrastructure will be reimagined and revolutionized because of 5G networks. These advancements will give China economic and political leverage as well as the ability to control and implement data and technological standards. These advancements will allow the Chinese economy to grow to the largest in the world as well as become a haven for new industries that will be created with 5G networks.

It is likely that Huawei will implement the first fully functioning 5G network; meaning China will win the race for 5G dominance. Huawei will be able to implement fully functioning 5G technology first because of China’s unified country goals, government funding, and the ability to grow with a size and scale greater than their main competitors, Ericcson and Qualcomm. For Ericcson or Qualcomm to implement full 5G capabilities before Huawei, they would need government backing which the United States and their allies are not currently willing to provide.

Even though the U.S. is likely to continue banning Huawei and its closest allies, this will only slow down Huawei’s expansion, not speed up American or European companies’ development of competitive 5G technology. Therefore, the U.S. is still going to have to wait for viable options comparable to the size and capabilities of Huawei 5G. The longer the U.S. waits, the more advantages China and Huawei will have over the United States. Companies such as Qualcomm and Ericcson do not possess the scale or government backing that Huawei does. The U.S. will continue doing everything to stop Huawei, however the problem is that the U.S. is not doing anything to further their own advancements. This is not the most effective strategy. As is commonly said, your defense is only the best offense until it’s time to score. The United States has been doing everything defensively, but they have no offensive weapons (5G capabilities) that are comparable to those of Huawei.

It is important to note that eventually the United States will have to log-on or access Huawei built networks because of how vast 5G is. While this is not the same as having Huawei built networks across America, the United States will have to face the security concerns associated with utilizing Huawei’s systems whether in the next two years or further down the road.

If the United States and its allies continue to ban Huawei products, this could lead to the new age cold war with technology at the center instead of nuclear weapons. Over the next decade, the Chinese networks could become the favorite of non-democratic countries around the world. If this happens, it could lead to a new age Berlin Wall built around networks where a highly controlled internet is run by the Chinese companies, while the Western internet is built around a Western companies 5G infrastructure. While this may seem extreme, neither China or the U.S. is likely to back down to the other or compromise in terms of technology.

While 5G technologies are currently being created, implemented, and turned on around the world, one thing is certain: Huawei is the leader in implementing this technology. It will take time to see if this lead grows even further, but the race for 5G dominance is on and China is in the lead.

5G technology development in the context of the U.S.-China race and competition for dominance has significant economic, technological, political and security implications for both the U.S. and China. This thesis provides an overview of the 5G technology and its development, discusses these implications, and highlights the possible prospect of China winning the 5G technology race and U.S. policy responses so far. The race in progress requires close attention for many reasons and purposes, and policy responses and results would demand careful evaluations. This subject certainly merits further investigation and study.

Chapter 9: Conclusion and Outlook

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