Two weeks after the Indian government banned the use of 59 Chinese applications, on the grounds of the risk posed to national security, the United Kingdom (UK) reversed its policy on Huawei’s operations in the country — banning the use of the Chinese tech giant’s equipment in the UK’s 5G network. The same, however, cannot be said of Russia, a country reeling from western sanctions, and one that views Huawei as an enticing low-cost prospect for its 5G buildout.
As international pressure grows to contain China’s increasingly aggressive global posturing, what impact will this shifting balance have on the future of 5G across the world? Are countries like India and the UK in a position to ‘decouple’ their technological growth and advancement from China, and what are the potential economic and geopolitical ramifications of such manoeuvrings?
On August 5, we hosted Gulshan Rai, Alexander Gabuev, and Veerle Nouwens for a webinar on the future of 5G in an increasingly mercurial world order. The discussion was moderated by Rudra Chaudhuri.
