Wed November, 2020, Age: 3 years
China has more 5G subscribers than the U.S., not just in total but also per capita. It sells more 5G smartphones, cheaper, and also has more widespread 5G coverage. This has led one Wall Street Journal to conclude that China “is running away with the game” when it comes to 5G. But the applications which were supposed to make 5G revolutionary — self-driving cars, automated factory floors, remote surgeries, and so on — are still years away in widespread use for both countries. Many application technologies are still far away from being commercially viable. Regardless, China has plowed money and state planning resources into developing 5G, laying the groundwork for a foundation that could allow it to leapfrog it ahead as 5G technologies become more applicable.