US bets on different mobile airwaves from rest of the world – and that might cost it the 5G race
- The stakes are high for the US to put its mobile infrastructure expansion in order as it competes against China for 5G leadership
This is the third in a series of articles analysing the impact of 5G mobile technology on people’s everyday lives.
The United States does not have a stellar track record when it comes to betting on recent advances in mobile technology. The country lagged behind during the 3G era after it championed one standard (CDMA) over another (GSM) that was implemented by the rest of the world.
While a universal standard for 5G technology has been adopted worldwide, the US risks repeating the same mistake because of its decision to roll out next-generation networks on mobile airwaves different from what other economies are using.
“We cannot allow any other country to out-compete the United States in this powerful industry of the future,” Trump said. By next year, the US will “have more 5G spectrum than any other country in the world”, he said.
The problem, however, is that initial 5G networks in the US are to be built on what experts deem as less efficient, higher frequency millimetre wave (mmWave) spectrum, while countries in Europe and the Asia-Pacific are deploying their next-generation infrastructure on lower frequency radio bands in the so-called sub-6 gigahertz spectrum.
