US fight with Huawei points to upcoming battle over 5G networks, experts suggest
Timing of charges that company circumvented sanctions against Iran and stole intellectual property is not coincidental given crucial negotiations
As US hostility towards China climaxed this week with an indictment against Huawei, industry experts are speculating if this is a battle over the forthcoming fifth-generation (5G) broadband networks. This new communications technology will enable significantly faster wireless access and create the infrastructure needed for connecting robots and sensors for what is being called the fourth industrial revolution. US law enforcement agencies are concerned that having Huawei equipment at the core of a network will compromise its security and potentially allow for snooping. Huawei, which connects a third of the planet’s population to the internet or telecoms networks, denies all accusations, which reached a crescendo with this week’s charges two days before trade negotiations began in Washington on Wednesday. The timing of the charges that Huawei circumvented sanctions against Iran and lied about it, and that it stole intellectual property from US network T-Mobile do not seem to be coin...
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