Many countries and companies are currently competing to be the first to deploy 5G networks on a large scale. In the technology spectrum, Huawei is known as the global number one in terms of 5G network deployment, both Huawei and ZTE are the leaders in the world in 5G technology.
China is currently leading the world in terms of the number of 5G base stations that have been deployed. According to a report by the Global Mobile Suppliers Association, China had more than 800,000 5G base stations installed by the end of 2020. By comparison, the United States had around 50,000 5G base stations at the same time. Based on earlier findings, China successfully using the Belt and Road Initiative to promote the adoption of Huawei 5G, and The United States is doing what it can to reverse those gains.
According to Fitch Research, 4G subscriptions in Japan will start declining in 2022, with 5G becoming the dominant technology by 2026. Fitch forecasts that by 2029, there will be roughly 45 million 4G subscriptions and more than 151 million 5G subscriptions in Japan. The Japanese government has been hard at work promoting the deployment of 5G Networks. Overall, Japan is considered to be one of the most advanced countries in the world in terms of 5G deployment and adoption, and is likely to continue to be a major player in the development of 5G technology in the years to come.
Spain is has been making some progress in the race to 5G, the Spanish government had announced plans to support the deployment of 5G networks, and had allocated funding to support research and development of 5G applications and services. Overall, while Spain may not have been at the forefront of the race to 5G, it was still actively working to deploy and adopt this technology, and was likely to make progress in the coming years.
By speed of rollout: South Korea was the first country to launch a nationwide 5G network in April 2019, and has since been a leader in the speed of 5G rollout. As of 2020, around 15% of mobile connections in South Korea were on 5G networks, which was the highest penetration rate in the world.
By investment in 5G: The United States has been investing heavily in 5G technologies, with both the federal government and private companies pouring billions of dollars into research and development. In 2020, the U.S. government announced a $1 billion fund to help rural telecom providers replace Huawei and ZTE equipment with more secure alternatives, and has also provided funding for research into new 5G technologies.
It’s worth noting that the race to adopt 5G technologies is still ongoing, and the situation is likely to change rapidly as more countries and companies invest in 5G infrastructure.