Photo: Huawei’s logo. [Picture:Bloombeg]
A report by the British broadcasting Corporation (BBC) revealed that the new Huawei smartphones are set to lose access to some Google applications. This comes after US president Donald Trump added Huawei to a list of companies that American firms cannot trade with unless they have a license. Google has recently revoked bits license in attempting to "complying with the order and reviewing the implications".
Huawei is being targeted because of its advancement in the development of the 5G technology. The targeting of the company has nothing to do with security threats or trading license issue but everything to do with the fact that America is not leading the revolution in digital technology. America is basically hurt by the fact that Huawei is months ahead in the development of the fastest mobile technology in the world.
Descried as “the fifth generation of cellular technology” 5G is said to bring ultra-fast bandwidth speeds and massive connectivity for devices. At 10Gig per second this technology is expected to change the face of digital technology and information sharing ethos. Launched in South Korea and the US this week, with Sweden, Estonia, China, Japan and Turkey planning commercial launches by 2020 5G technology will change the mobile connectivity for the better.
An assessment by Africa Report states that:
“Transmitting data at 10 gigabits per second, the fifth-generation network will deliver up to a hundred times faster data speeds compared to what the best 4G LTE connection can provide today. While 4G mainly targeted smartphones, 5G will be able to support a wide range of devices and services delivered through internet of things (IoT) use cases, that rely on super-fast connectivity and real-time responsiveness. 5G could help to revolutionise several industries, including manufacturing, agriculture, transport and health sector – making factory automation, communication between self-driving vehicles to regulate traffic or real-time surgical operations performed on patients in different time zones a reality.”
Ericsson has predicted that commercial mobile 5G will be extensively set out in 2020 and 2021and we will begin to see experiments in the Middle East and Africa region by end of 2019. The new mobile technology company based in South Africa Rain, has announced “the launch of the continent’s first commercial 5G network, in partnership with Huawei. The company plans to leverage its existing licensed 4G spectrum to offer full commercial 5G rollout in South Africa by mid-2019, expanding from Johannesburg where it is already live.”
Response to license being revoked by Google:
“Huawei has made substantial contributions to the development and growth of Android around the world. As one of Android’s key global partners, we have worked closely with their open-source platform to develop an ecosystem that has benefitted both users and the industry.
Huawei will continue to provide security updates and after-sales services to all existing Huawei and Honor smartphone and tablet products, covering those that have been sold and that are still in stock globally.
We will continue to build a safe and sustainable software ecosystem, in order to provide the best experience for all users globally.”
The mobile giant is also developing its own branded operating systems, and will roll it out in case its US legal battle leads to a ban on the export of US-made products and services like Android and Windows. “We have prepared our own operating system, if it turns out we can no longer use these systems, we will be ready and have our plan B,” Huawei executive Richard Yu.
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