The short answer to the question “Why is 5G banned in some countries?” is that “5G” has never been banned in any country. India is one example of a country that isn’t in a rush to implement 5G due to various technical and political factors, which is beyond the scope of this article. However, several countries have already banned 5G hardware explicitly made by Chinese manufacturers. We will also briefly discuss why a government would spend billions on building a 5G infrastructure.
Why is 5G infrastructure so urgently needed in most countries?
Until the advent of 5G, communication technology was primarily focused on connecting people with each other. With 5G, however, the focus has shifted from connecting people to each other to connecting people to everything else- TVs and refrigerators, cars and medical devices, as well as the humble toaster. 5G promises to boost the Internet of things (IoT) by connecting these devices together. This massive increase in connectivity, combined with the ability to transfer large amounts of data in a millisecond, will allow for newer real-time technology far more potent than currently available. We have a separate article discussing 5G and the differences between 5G and 4G in greater detail.
This technology will undoubtedly lead to new industries and businesses and next-generation products and services in every sector of our industrial society. This will create millions of jobs, improve medical facilities, and raise the standard of living for the average citizen. Economists estimate that 5G technology would have a global impact worth $12 trillion by 2035.
Is 5G banned in any country?
5G has not been banned in any country as no country would want to compromise the enormous impact that this technology is sure to bring. Samsung, Huawei, and ZTE are just a few of the many manufacturers that have invested billions in R&D to build the 5G infrastructure. Many countries are concerned about Chinese manufacturers ZTE and Huawei. They could have security loopholes or backdoors that China could use to spy on them without their knowledge.
Various countries have outright banned any Chinese 5G infrastructure being located within their borders due to these concerns. While Huawei has agreed to “no spy” agreements with these countries, it hasn’t been of great benefit. Concerns remain rife that Huawei and partly state-owned ZTE may steal data from ordinary citizens and sensitive information like intelligence data and intellectual property.
Canada, Belgium, Brazil, Australia, India, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Italy, and the United States have either banned 5G hardware from China or at least opted not to contract any Chinese manufacturers in any capacity. The mentioned decision has been left to the individual member countries of the European Union.
In addition to the security implications, citizens around the globe have expressed concern about the potential health effects of 5G signals. These concerns are mostly unfounded, as 5G uses radio waves just like any communication standard before it. Although 5G uses a greater radio frequency than ever before, experts in the field agree that it is still insufficient to pose any potential health risks.
