NEW DELHI: The fifth generation of wireless communication technology, or 5G as we know it, isn’t just about mobile telephony but can connect everything that you see around you—industries, homes, hospitals, schools and so on, says Rajen Vagadia, VP and president of Qualcomm India and SAARC. Speaking to StratNews Global Editor-in-Chief Nitin A. Gokhale, Vagadia said 5G will enable faster development that economies will need after a jolt like COVID. 5G has a different architecture, it’s all about decentralization, which ensures it won’t be the monopoly of a big infrastructure player like Huawei. It will enable a lot of smaller companies to join the ecosystem, thereby democratizing the tech space, says Vagadia. Noted China watcher Jayadeva Ranade, who joined in the debate, shared his perspective on how China has been pushing Huawei to capture as much of the global communications network as possible and to set the standards. But with the global pushback against China due to Covid-19, it is already feeling the heat. And that may translate into Indian companies, tech and otherwise, getting easier access to U.S. and European markets.
