Fifth Generation Internet: A Bottleneck in the Increasing Conflict Between the U.S. and China's Huawei

The giant Chinese company Huawei officially sued the U.S. government on Thursday, March 7, for creating obstacles to the company's competition in the market. The U.S., which has accused Huawei of 'spying for the Chinese government' and creating security risks for the West for nearly a decade, has recently faced tensions with the company over the issue of 'violating sanctions against Iran' by Huawei; a matter that even led to the arrest of Huawei's CFO. Huawei is the world's largest telecommunications equipment manufacturer and the second-largest smartphone manufacturer. However, the issue has gone beyond the 'violation of Iran sanctions' and the arrest of the CFO, as Huawei is trying to fight against the U.S. intention to exclude this company from the fifth-generation internet (5G) market by any means possible. Last week at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, while Huawei announced it had signed contracts to build 5G networks with more than 64 countries, including Switzerland and South Africa, a delegation from the U.S. Departments of State and Defense was also present at the congress, warning everyone about cooperating with Huawei. According to the American business magazine Forbes, Huawei's president, Guo Ping, was openly 'mocking' the American delegation at this congress. The magazine reported that U.S. warnings stating that tying countries' fifth-generation internet to Huawei means handing over control of the country's internet to the Chinese Communist Party have not succeeded in persuading countries to overlook Huawei. Analysts say Huawei's appeal lies in the low costs it offers for building 5G infrastructure; costs that have remained low due to subsidized loans from the Chinese government. This low-cost appeal is so significant that despite the U.S. and Australia banning Huawei's entry into their 5G markets, their close ally, the UK, has stated it is still unsure about shutting the door on Huawei in the 5G field. Last month, Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, Iran's Minister of Communications, tweeted about '66% coverage of 3G and 4G internet' in villages and all cities, announcing that fifth-generation internet would also be 'provided in the new year [in Iran].' The fifth-generation internet (5G) is expected to bring fundamental transformations in five areas: television and media; industries; medicine; telecommunications; transportation and infrastructure. With 5G, you will be able to download the 'Lord of the Rings' movie in seconds, experience live streaming of your school class remotely without delay using virtual reality glasses, and your smart car will be able to exchange necessary information for better navigation with traffic lights at intersections. With the launch of 5G technology, plants in farms will be able to share their needs, such as fertilizer and moisture levels, with farmers through high-speed sensors. Remote control of heavy machinery in mining and industries is another application of fifth-generation internet. Currently, industry leaders, the United Nations, and governments are setting regulations and policies related to fifth-generation internet, and due to the high cost of this technology, its current target application is in large institutions. Personal public use of it is unlikely to be available until next year. Reports indicate that Huawei's 5G equipment is 'far more advanced' than its competitors in this field, namely Ericsson of Sweden and Nokia of Finland, and there is no American telecommunications company that can be considered a serious competitor to Huawei in the 5G sector. Huawei's president states that the U.S. actions against Huawei are 'more related to commercial competition than national security issues.' However, the U.S. government refers to Huawei's history and its ties to the Chinese Communist Party, considering its concerns to be legitimate. It is still unclear what impact Huawei's new lawsuit against the U.S. government, filed in a Texas court, will have. However, Donald Trump, the President of the United States, could legally block Huawei's access to U.S. markets entirely by signing an executive order.