China Races Ahead of the US in the Battle for 5G Supremacy

In the race for tech supremacy, China is betting it can seize the lead by building the world’s biggest 5G wireless networks. To get there, the country is banking on the might of the one-party state, making sure its state-run carriers have access to cheap airwaves and fast, inexpensive approvals for putting up the hundreds of thousands of base stations the fastest wireless technology requires. As top phone companies elsewhere flinch at the cost of building 5G wireless networks, China’s operators are barreling ahead on the government’s mandate, virtually free airwaves and equipment at less than half the price U.S. carriers are paying. Being the first to reach massive scale with the speediest networks could also help the nation in its ambition to dominateindustries like factory automation, robotics and autonomous driving.