China is fast making its footprint around the world on the 5G battlefront. Despite threats by the US on its allied countries to abandon Huawei, the leading Chinese telecoms giant rolling out 5G technology, more and more countries are following suit.

5G technology is the gateway to the full embrace of the 4th Digital Revolution and for countries with high internet penetration rates, this will be a game changer. Already in South Asia, home to one quarter of the world’s population, the mobile internet penetration forecast is bound to rise to 61% by 2025. This will be a gold mine for 5G players such as Huawei. India is the last bastion before South Asia is under the total influence of the Chinese telecoms giant. How will this be played out in 2019? Will 5G benefit underdeveloped countries such as Bangladesh whose 5G rollout is expected in 2021? Will consumer take-up rates increase with potential high cost of 5G?

At the International Strategy Institute, we cover deep issues that affect the social and business world. Stay tuned for more!! Follow us through our ISI Insights newsletter, FB, Instagram and Linkedin or our website at www.istrategy.global for regular updates on our programmes.