Key aspects of the Huawei – 5G conflict

Last week, the UK Government announced they vetoed Huawei, the Chinese telecommunications giant, on using the 5G network of the country.

Without delving too deeply into the political key, this decision may be considered as a victory for Trump’s administration. This change of Boris Johnson’s government, which last January stated that Huawei could use the 5G network of the country with restrictions, indicates their will to establish a ‘technological’ border between Western countries and China.

The importance of 5G.

At this point, everybody knows that the 5G network will provide us with new and ambitious technologies that will mark digital communications in the coming years.

The 5G network, with lower latency (time of answer), higher bandwidth or speed, is considered a cornerstone for developing new technologies such as automation, remote-controlled vehicles, and the Internet of Things.

Why is Huawei a leader in 5G?

It is mainly due to three reasons:

1. They have been working this technology for a long time, even before its standardisation.
2. They can develop and manufacture the elements required for its implementation, from routers to the chips required for the mobile phones to transfer data.
3. Their business model allows them to offer devices at very competitive prices.

The relationship between the United States and Huawei.

This story started in 2011 with Obama’s administration and now it continues with Trump’s one (including vetoes to commercial relationships). Both administrations accuse the Chinese telecommunications giant of being an instrument of espionage of the communist regime, despite the lack of conclusive evidence.

Spain and 5G.

European countries considered Huawei as a crucial partner to develop and implement this technology. However, during the evolution of the current crisis of the United States government and the technology company, two currents have been created in the European Union. On the one hand, some countries have decided to limit Huawei’s predominance in the development of 5G and, on the other hand, some countries refuse to take part in the conflict by leaving the decision in the hands of operators, as it is the case of Spain.