Orange and ZTE demo various 5G applications in Spain

Leaving aside the conspiracy theories that place Russia at the bottom of the current "world vs. Huawei and ZTE" war, one thing is certain: no matter who wins in the long run, keeping these two tech giants out of the 5G game will only slow down the implementation of this next-gen technology in many markets. Fortunately, it looks like Spain is not one of them.

Yesterday, Orange and ZTE demoed multiple 5G applications at the Global 5G Event and the European Conference on Networks and Communications (EuCNC) in Valencia. The list of tests included the following:

• 5G remote driving (with the use of multiple high-definition cameras installed in the vehicle).
• Remote control of robotic arms (single camera, but involving complex movement capture/recognition/processing).
• Real-time streaming of HD news programs and 4K 360-degree video content.

Unfortunately, ZTE is not doing great in all countries. In the US, the well-known Massachusetts Institute of Technology has decided to cut its ties with the Chinese company back in April. Australia and Japan are currently forbidding ZTE from being involved in 5G rollouts. Last year, after breaching a US trade embargo with Iran, ZTE was the subject of a ban that kept them away from buying US components. After agreeing to pay a tranche of a US$1.4 billion fine, ZTE was allowed to get US components once again.

These being said, do you think that having Huawei and ZTE out of the 5G game in a certain market can cause a major delay on the implementation of this new technology or not? If you were in charge of some remote country without its own 5G equipment makers, what brand would you choose to replace Huawei and ZTE?