5G technology is going mainstream this year but at the same time, only a handful of countries are offering commercial 5G service to the users. One of the leading countries in offering 5G is China and it continues the infrastructure development to gain the lead for next-generation wireless communication technology.

Now, China is claiming that it has built around 700,000 5G base stations in the country so far this year, which has exceeded the company’s original plan of installing 500,000 5G base stations in the country.

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Liu Liehong, Vice-Minister at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in China said that the number is more than double the number of 5G base stations installed this year in the rest of the world. However, he has not cited the source for this information.

Last month, MIIT had revealed that more than 690,000 5G base stations are operational in China and over 160 million devices are connected. Liu Liehong has now revealed that more than 180 million devices are connected to 5G.

For complete 5G coverage across the country, China will need to install 10 million 5G base stations, which will require an investment of around 2 trillion yuan ($280 billion).

As said, China wants to be a leader when it comes to cutting-edge technologies like 5G, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and more. These technologies are considered to be a key factor for the modern economy and China is competing with other countries like the United States to dominate the market.

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China is aiming to boost its semiconductor prowess by focusing on continuing self supply for its 5G base stations and servers. This move is expected to show positive results by the second half of 2021, as per industry sources.

According to a DigiTimes report, the Chinese government is placing emphasis more on the qualitative part rather than the quantitative aspect for upgrades for its semiconductor development. This, in turn, means that the government if shifting its focus away from the consumer centric market, namely mobile chipsets, and networking products, and is seeking to grow 5G and server based applications, as per a source close to the matter.

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China currently accounts for over 50 percent of the global supply fo infrastructures and server based chip solutions, which are relatively expensive with a price tag between 400 to 1,000 US Dollars. Thus, if Chinese chipmakers can raise their own self supply of such chips, the country will effectively become more independent and would lean away from foreign technology and influence from the west in the two crucial areas.

The source also mentioned that the Taiwanese based semiconductor supply chain is also expected to greatly benefit from China’s efforts to build its own semiconductor supply, as Chinese chipmakers will be closely cooperating with its Taiwanese partners for its IC design services and other various technical supports. So, in other words, China is going full speed ahead with its self dependency plans.

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Guo Ping, Huawei Rotating Chairman, has stated that the company has sufficient semiconductor inventory to build telecom base stations. The senior executive made the statement during a press conference at Huawei Connect 2020.

According to TheElec report, this is the first official confirmation from the Chinese tech giant that it has stocked up semiconductors last year to better prepare for the US sanctions. For those unaware, the recent reinforcements of regulations against the company have taken effect as of 15th September 2020. Guo Ping also said that the ban made it very difficult for Huawei, as the company used millions of semiconductors a year for its smartphone and telecom operations.

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The senior executive mentioned that the company is looking at methods to overcome its current predicament. Notably, the Chairman said that the company would gladly opt for Qualcomm chips if it received approval from the US. Despite being a big consumer electronics brand, Huawei is also a major telecom equipment and infrastructure provider. In China, the company has worked to build multiple base stations for the latest 5G networking standards as well. The company also recently revealed that it had reached 96 percent of its 500,000 5G base station target for 2020.

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China has so far been ahead of the curve when it comes to 5G network adoption rates. The country had planned to build 500,000 5G base stations by the end of this year, and it was recently announced that they have reached 96 percent of its goal.

At the moment, China has over 480,000 base stations for the newer and faster bandwidth. Despite the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, the country has gone ahead with strengthening its economy and boost growth during this period of crisis. According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s (MIIT) director Wen Ku, there are over 100 million devices connected to 5G networks in mainland China.

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Furthermore, MIIT minister Xiao Yaqing also said that there are more than 60 million 5G users in the country. 5G offers peak data rates up to 100 times faster than the current 4G network offers and is often referred to as the “connective tissue” for Internet of Things (IoT), self driving cars, smart cities, and other new mobile applications. In other words, it stands as the backbone for the industrial internet.

Chinese smartphone vendors like Xiaomi, Huawei, and others are also playing their roles in the adoption of 5G, with more affordable 5G enabled devices being launched this year. Back in August, Shenzhen announced that it was the first to achieve “full coverage” of a standalone 5G network that is not built on existing 4G infrastructure. So it’s clear that China has placed great emphasis on the new generation of telecommunications.

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Huawei and ZTE, known Chinese telecommunications equipment providers, have slowed down building 5G base stations in China. This arrives after the US tech ban, which puts uncertainty regarding its key supply chain in the near future.

Both Chinese tech giants account for over 80 percent of all base stations contracts in China. In other words, these companies are integral to the country’s transition into the newer generation of mobile telecommunications. Furthermore, the slow down in 5G infrastructure also signals that the recent US export sanction has started taking its toll on the Chinese firms. Although, this slowdown is also caused by Chinese carriers’ investment strategy with 5G.

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At the moment, Huawei and ZTE are working on re-designing a few of their 5G products. This is being done to completely remove US parts as much as possible. According to a report from Nikkei, both firms have told suppliers to slow down shipments of certain 5G base station related products back in June 2020. ZTE told a supplier to slow down shipments in June, with orders coming to a near standstill in July.

Similarly, Huawei had also stated that it changed some designs and is replacing certain equipment used in its manufacturing process. Furthermore, the monsoon season hitting southern parts of China, causing floods, have also contributed to delays in 5G base station installations in the region. For those unaware, the Trump administration is cracking down on Chinese companies like Huawei and ZTE, with its recent sanctions trying to cut off US made parts completely and disrupting their supply chain.

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Huawei’s US ban was extended for another year last month. Additionally, TSMC was cut-off to manufacture chips for the Chinese tech giant. Hence, the company has been looking for possibilities to keep its business up and running. Now, a new report suggests Samsung might help Huawei in making its 5G base station chipsets.

Huawei is a telecommunication company first and a smartphone maker next. Still, it is the second-largest smartphone company in the world. It was even supposed to surpass Samsung by the end of this year but the US ban has shattered the opportunity.

That said, it is fine for the company to lose in the mobile phone segment but the same cannot be said for its telecom business. It has contracts to deliver 600,000 5G base stations, which are powered by its in-house HiSilicon Kirin chipsets manufactured by TSMC.

Hence, Samsung is reported to be in talks with Huawei to manufacture chips for the latter’s 5G base stations. The South Korean tech giant is one of the largest chipmakers in the world. 

Samsung uses Extreme Ultra-Violet (EUV) lithography machines made by Dutch company ASL to manufacture 7nm chipsets. Whereas, for testing, it uses machines from Japan. Since there’s no involvement of US-based tech, it can supply chips to Huawei.

In return, Huawei will have to give up its smartphone share to Samsung since the electronics division is the lifeline of the South Korean tech giant.

This is the best chance for Huawei to save its telecom business by sacrificing smartphone division. As of now, it is not sure whether the Chinese company will accept this offer but the probability is more as the homegrown SMIC is stuck at 14nm.

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(Via)

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Earlier this week, Huawei announced a new breakthrough in its 5G networking field. The company unveiled CableFree, which is a new antenna design for its 5G base stations.

The new development has improved various aspects regarding the 5G base station antennas. Its radiation efficiency, integration, and power capacity have been upgraded, marking a new stage of antenna technology standards as the world shifts into the 5G era. With the broader adoption of the newer and faster bandwidth, the latest network standard also saw an increase in bands and other internal complexities. Thus, the new antenna technology is better suited to take on the “vast challenges” it may face.

Briefly touching up on a few of the key implications, CableFree will have an overall improvement in 5G network coverage. This is crucial since one of 5G’s major flaw is its much narrower network cover over previous generations. With the introduction of high frequency bands in 5G, antenna gains are required to be increased for wider coverage. This is where the new technology helps, with CableFree arriving with a 20 percent higher radiation efficiency.

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The power capacity of the new antenna design brings a significant jump of 80 percent, which is necessary due to the higher power output of 5G networking. Notably, CableFree also seeks to trim down physical aspects as well, with a six-band antenna being 10kgs lighter. The new breakthrough also arrives with an improved PIM (passive intermodulation) performance.

In layman’s terms, it basically means better interaction between two different mechanical components, which translates to lesser joints, screws, and soldering that should make the design of the new antennas much more streamlined than current standards. Thus, the new improvements would prove to be a boon in the new 5G world, although its implications have yet to be seen in real life.

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(Source)

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Gan Bin, the Vice President of the Huawei Wireless Product line, revealed a few interesting developments regarding 5G networking in China. The Chinese tech giant has apparently built over 200,000 5G base stations in its home countries thus far and expects 800,000 to be in place by the year end.

The senior executive shared the report during the company’s Global Analyst Summit 2020. According to Gan Bin, Chinese telecom operators have constructed 200K sites at the moment and will hit the 800K mark by the end of 2020, covering 340 different cities. The speeds of the data transfer rates are showcasing a ten fold increase of 5G over the previous gen 4G.

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Notably, these Massive MIMO using TDD spectrum that enables 5G networking also supports the legacy 4G networks as well. This ensures maximum coverage in both indoor and outdoor environments. For those unaware, the main drawback of the newer and faster bandwidth is coverage. With each passing generation, it becomes harder for the signal to penetrate various surfaces over great distances for consistent network performance. 5G suffers heavily from this, so telecom operators generally tend to find a middle ground in this scenario of speed and coverage.

We had previously reported on China edging out in the 5G race against the US, and this report reveals more of the same. The country was one of the first to adopt the new generation of networking standards and is already utilizing it to a varying degree of roles and functions within numerous regions.

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The US/China trade war which saw Huawei taking most of the hit was expected to have a catastrophic effect on Huawei equipment and consumer businesses. However, what we have seen in recent times point to the contrary. First Huawei unveiled its self-developed HarmonyOS. Huawei’s CEO has now disclosed that the tech giant has commenced the manufacture of 5G base stations without components from the United States

The US’ placement of Huawei on the Entity list back in May meant the company won’t be able to assess components from its longstanding U.S. suppliers. Apart from the effect on the smartphone business, Huawei’s telecommunication equipment business would have been severe. This is because Huawei is the largest supplier of telecoms equipment and the company is far ahead in the development of 5G gears. The company announced earlier this month that over 200,000 of its 5G base stations has been shipped. Also disclosed is that the company had secured over 50 5G contracts around the world.

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Mass production of the 5G base stations without US components would commence in October, according to Ren Zhengfei. He also hinted that the tech giant will start with 5000 5G base stations monthly during the initial phase. The company projects annual production next year will reach 1.5 million units as more and more regions and operators commence the rollout of 5G services.

Despite this new development, Mr Zhengfei says his firm would still like to use US components if the ban is lifted because he claims Huawei has “emotional ties” with long-time US suppliers. Further, he re-echoed a statement made earlier that Huawei was willing to license its 5G mobile technology to a US company or to even sell for a one-off fee.

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(source)

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