- There’s a growing consensus that China could use its lead in 5G to leapfrog Silicon Valley.
- Microsoft, Amazon, and Google can compete by focusing on software and partnering with carriers.
- The Biden administration has indicated its support for 5G initiatives that could turn the tide.
Erdal Arikan, a Turkish professor and scientist, held a low profile until Huawei – China’s leading 5G equipment manufacturer and the world’s second largest seller of smartphones – elevated his work out of obscurity and made it the underlying technology behind 5G.
With Huawei’s backing, Arikan’s so-called polar codes would go on to become the standard for 5G data transmission – propelling Huawei to the forefront of the race for 5G, and China with it. Arikan himself recently told Wired that in his view, China would see a new wave of trillion-dollar companies, built with 5G at the heart, wrestling the mantle of tech leadership away from Silicon Valley.
“5G is totally different than the internet. It’s like a global nervous system,” Arikan said. “Huawei is the leading company in 5G. They will be around in 10, 20, 50 years-you cannot say that about the US tech companies. In the internet era, the US produced a few trillion-dollar companies. Because of 5G, China will have 10 or more. Huawei and China now have the lead.”
