H35-462 testing - HCS-5G RF Advanced Updated: 2024

Zain Kuwaut said it has achieved speeds of 10 Gigabits per second after completing a 5.5G technology trial on its network in partnership with Chinese vendor Huawei.

The Middle East telco said it was the first operator to complete a trial of this kind in Kuwait’s telecom market. The company also tested Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC), a key 5.5G feature.

The telco also noted that the latest trial was carried out under supervision and in collaboration with the Communication and Information Technology Regulatory Authority (CITRA).

Zain highlighted that it has invested early in upgrading and enhancing its network’s infrastructure to prepare for the shift towards the 5.5G era.

5.5G, which features uptra-fast speeds and higher efficiency levels, combined with Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC), which brings reduced latency and ultra-reliable connections, will meet the growing demand of cloud computing, AI, big data, immersive AR/VR experiences and autonomous vehicles, the telco added.

Zain has also recently showcased its network’s readiness for the rollout of 5G New Calling (5GNC), an emerging 5G network capability that paves the way for a new era of voice and video calling and will rely on the capabilities of 5.5G.

5G-Advanced technology, or “5.5G”, will pave the way for a wider adoption of connectivity for industrial settings, John Gao, President of Huawei’s 5.5G domain, previously told RCR Wireless News.

Gao stressed that 5.5G will enable wireless production and flexible manufacturing with its low latency and high reliability, thus accelerating the intelligent transformation of industries.

The executive noted that 5.5G will provide larger system capacities, lower-priced modules and large-scale service provisioning capabilities, which will enable scenarios with hundreds of millions of video connections. Gao also noted that scenarios with more extensively ubiquitous asset logistics can be managed using tags of lower costs and power consumption with 5.5G networks.

He went on to say that the deployment of 5.5G technology will pave the way for harmonized communication and sensing networks to support diverse scenarios like smart air, ground, and maritime transportation as well as smart security.

Huawei believes that previous investments made by operators to deploy 5G network infrastructure will be protected with the future launch of 5G-Advanced. Huawei’s president of wireless solution, Cao Ming, recently said during a media roundtable at Huawei’s 14th Global Mobile Broadband Forum (MBBF), held last month in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.

The executive said that 5G-Advanced networks will not require large investments by operators in new network architecture and will be launched using 5G Standalone (SA) networks. He also said that Huawei is working with its partners to make sure that future 5.5G applications, devices and services will be fully compatible with current 5G networks.

Huawei had previously said that it planned to launch a complete set of commercial 5.5G network equipment in 2024.

Just a few years ago, Huawei was so pressured by U.S. trade blacklists that it offloaded its budget smartphone division. But the Chinese electronics giant is having a comeback with a buzzy return to the high-end phone market that's pulling consumer attention away from Apple's iPhone.

Now, Huawei may soon be on the verge of surpassing Apple in one metric, as its homegrown HarmonyOS operating system is poised to overtake Apple's iOS in China this year, according to the South China Morning Post citing a report from tech research firm TechInsights. iOS and Android, the open-source OS primarily developed by Google, will continue to dominate the global market.

Huawei's decision to develop its own operating system took on greater importance following U.S. sanctions on the company. The Chinese company originally used the Android operating system in its smartphones, yet announced HarmonyOS in August 2019, just a few months after the Trump administration added Huawei to the Entity List, which forced the company to get Washington's approval for any purchases of U.S. technology. Huawei executives had previously described the development of its own operating system as a "Plan B," as the company faced the prospect of being barred from using key hardware or software with U.S. origins.

Huawei's initial success in getting HarmonyOS off the ground could be an indicator that the Chinese firm is maintaining its technical expertise in spite of U.S. sanctions. Huawei is now gearing up for another major transition by preparing to abandon Android entirely. Previous versions of HarmonyOS supported apps developed for Android, yet Huawei's next update will end this compatibility, creating what the company calls a "pure" operating system.

Chinese tech companies are scrambling to develop HarmonyOS-compatible versions of their apps. Chinese firms are reportedly ramping up efforts to hire developers for HarmonyOS, including companies like Alipay owner Ant Group and McDonald's China.

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In August, Huawei said at its annual developer conference that more than 700 million devices currently run on HarmonyOS with more than 2.2 million third-party developers creating apps for the platform.

The rise of HarmonyOS is also coming as Huawei successfully returns to the 5G smartphone market, symbolized by its surprise release of the Mate 60 Pro in August last year. The phone features an advanced locally developed seven-nanometer chip, despite U.S. sanctions on both Huawei and China's broader chip industry.

Huawei's Mate 60 Pro smartphone was an immediate success, with state media outlets and commentators proclaiming the phone a national achievement. The company sold 1.6 million Mate 60 handsets in its first six weeks of sales, according to market research firm Counterpoint Research.

“The clear standout in October has been Huawei with its turnaround on the back of its Mate 60 series devices. Growth has been stellar with its new launch marketing and strong media coverage around its ‘Made in China’ chipset,” said Archie Zeng, a China analyst for Counterpoint Research in a report on the Chinese smartphone market released in November.

Huawei captured about 13% of China's smartphone market in 2023, up from 7.6% in 2022, estimates Ivan Lam, senior analyst at Counterpoint Research.

The company predicts that it generated almost $100 billion in sales in 2023, up from a latest low of $89.6 billion in 2021. "After years of hard work, we’ve managed to weather the storm," Huawei rotating chairman Ken Hu said to employees in late December. Still, the company has yet to surpass the $137 billion in revenue reported in 2020.

Huawei's return could be bad news for Apple, which counts China as one of its most important overseas markets. Sales of Apple's iPhone 15, which the company released a few weeks after Huawei's Mate 60 Pro, underperformed in its first 17 days on sale, compared to Apple's previous models.

Apple is also contending with new regulations from Beijing. Chinese officials will soon require all programs sold on Chinese app stores, including Apple's, to have a license from the government. Apple may be forced to remove thousands of apps from its Chinese store once the grace period ends in March.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

In the wake of Western sanctions, Huawei has pivoted toward emerging markets, including within Central Asia. The invasion of Ukraine has further underscored the need for adaptability, prompting Huawei to strategically relocate some of its Moscow office staff to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to avoid secondary sanctions while still maintaining research and development (R&D) offices across Russia. 

Among the relocated staff are managers and heads of Huawei divisions from China, who were originally assigned to Russia at the beginning of 2022 but were subsequently redirected to other offices. This move complements Huawei’s expansion efforts in the Middle East, encompassing also the Central Asian region.

Huawei’s construction of 4G networks and testing of 5G technology in Kazakhstan have positioned it as a critical player in the nation’s telecommunication sector, overshadowing competitors like Swedish Ericsson and Finnish Nokia. 

In an interview, a former Huawei employee shared that the company’s aggressive policies contributed to its market dominance in the country. They noted, “Our government was also very close to China, received a lot of loans, [China] built roads in Kazakhstan, factories are now in construction. Accordingly, the Chinese lobby is very strong.” 

Similarly, in Uzbekistan, Huawei’s partnerships with almost all key Uzbek telecom operators – Uztelecom, Unitel, Ucell, Perfectum Mobile, and East Telecom – demonstrate its dominant role in the telecommunications sector. 

In 2019, during a visit to Huawei’s R&D center in Beijing, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev called for efforts to introduce 5G to Uzbekistan. Over the past two years, Huawei has helped deploy 5G networks jointly with Uztelecom, Mobiuz, and Ucell. During preparation for the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in 2022, Uztelecom launched 5G networks in the tourist center of Samarkand using Huawei equipment. Other demonstration projects have included Huawei’s “smart” agriculture pilot project, implemented with the National Research University. Uzbektelecom has also signed contracts with Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE to implement four investment projects worth $506.8 million.

Beyond facilitating the rollout of hard infrastructure, Huawei has also been investing in local talent. In Kazakhstan, the number of Huawei ICT Academies is set to double from 25 to 50 by 2025, providing training for 5,000 students nationwide in critical areas such as artificial intelligence, big data, network security, wireless networks, and cybersecurity. Additionally, Kazakhstani ICT specialists have joined Huawei’s Corporate Social Responsibility program and have visited China to learn about the company’s cutting-edge ICT and to experience China’s traditional and modern culture. 

Universities are increasingly aligning themselves with market trends by establishing vendor-sponsored programs on their campuses. A coordinator at one of Kazakhstan’s leading IT universities revealed that over 100 students have enrolled in Huawei’s courses, while fewer students opt for programs offered by vendors such as Oracle, Kaspersky, and Cisco.

In Uzbekistan, one of Huawei’s key initiatives is its annual ICT Competition, “Seeds for the Future,” aimed at students and professionals in the ICT field. In 2020-2021 the event was attended by 50 students of Uzbekistan from universities with IT directions. Additionally, Huawei has established an important new ICT Academy at Inha University in Tashkent.

Huawei’s developments are in line with the ambitions of both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to position themselves as digital hubs. The current Kassym-Jomart Tokayev regime in Kazakhstan recognizes the pivotal role of education, especially in STEM and IT, as potential catalysts for bridging economic disparities, preventing future unrest, and maintaining social and regime stability. Likewise, Uzbekistan’s government has been implementing ambitious plans to transform the country into a digital hub through its “Digital Uzbekistan – 2030” strategy.

Huawei has thrown its weight behind ambitious plans in Kazakhstan to train 100,000 IT specialists through various courses, the benefit of which for the economy might reach $500 million. In support of these educational objectives, Huawei’s Information and Communication Technology Academies, which collaborate with institutions globally, are an excellent potential aid to Tokayev’s initiative. In a meeting with the company’s leadership, Tokayev endorsed the revitalization of ICT Academies, which are based at Kazakhstani universities and offer vendor knowledge, equipping students and staff in the IT sphere with certifications tailored to industry requirements. 

However, university program coordinators hosting Huawei’s ICT Academies in Kazakhstan have indicated in interviews that the focus primarily lies in training top students to become program trainers working in foreign branches of Huawei rather than fostering R&D at home. 

Huawei’s courses, it appears, are geared more toward producing administrative staff than nurturing R&D talent. In one interview, the coordinator of Huawei ICT Academies at a university in Kazakhstan explained, “We need to engage in research and educate individuals on how to construct systems like Huawei’s — we have to do things the other way around.” 

According to this coordinator, any vendor-sponsored education, including Huawei’s, aims to instill the habit of using their technology from a young age so that students will naturally gravitate toward it in the future. Interviews suggest that Huawei’s investment in the essential IT infrastructure of these universities remains minimal, although there are indications that Huawei  has started to invest in areas such as sports programming and cybersecurity. 

For local talent, it remains a challenge to attain high-ranking positions within Chinese companies. Instead, Chinese nationals often fill these roles. “Two directors work on any project, one is local, and the other is Chinese, who ensures that everything is done according to the official line of China,” said a previous Huawei employee. Rather than professional skills, knowledge of the Chinese language is key for career growth. 

Beyond the lack of R&D investment, there are also concerns about data flowing to China, which raises questions regarding state access and personal data protection. “If the data ends up in China, the state has wide access. If Huawei sends some data to China for analysis, personal data is not protected from the state,” said a Kazakhstani software engineer trained in Nanjing. 

These data concerns are particularly prevalent in the case of Huawei’s “Safe City” infrastructure, which feature surveillance cameras with facial and license plate recognition capabilities and are predominantly manufactured in China.

On April 25, 2019 Uzbekistan’s Mirziyoyev visited the Huawei Research and Innovation Center as part of his participation in the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Following on from agreements signed as part of that visit, an Uzbek-Chinese joint venture (JV) with an authorized capital of $2 million was established for the purpose of constructing a “Safe City” complex in Tashkent. The companies “Costar Group Co. Ltd” and “CITIC Guoan Information Technology Co. Ltd” own 42 percent of the JV, with the state of Uzbekistan owning shares in the amount of 58 percent.

The safe city attracted direct investments in the amount of $300 million and according to the project’s “road map,” Huawei is defined as the main supplier of goods and services. The Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications Development was designated as the authorized state organization for maintenance and technical support of the integrated system, which involved a data processing center, mandatory integration of state information systems into the “Safe City” system, surveillance of traffic violations, and monitoring of residences. 

It is unclear which of these steps has been implemented, but as a result of the road map, Huawei secured a contract with the government of Uzbekistan valued at $1 billion to advance the country’s surveillance infrastructure. Since 2014, approximately 500 Chinese cities have initiated transformation projects to become cyber-integrated “smart” cities. And now Chinese tech giant Huawei has moved to export its systems to Uzbekistan.

According to a former Huawei employee in Kazakhstan, Chinese companies such as Huawei “can use resources to pump data. The Chinese company, for example, creates a VPN and duplicates data. In one oil and gas project, China requires every picture from CCTV cameras to be duplicated in China.”

The increase in Chinese economic influence in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan is leading to the domination of companies like Huawei in critical infrastructure sectors such as telecommunications and IT-related hardware. 

These countries rely on companies such as Huawei in order to become digital hubs, but as the example of Kazakhstan demonstrates, in order to truly advance this goal, investment in R&D talent is needed – not something not necessarily at the top of Huawei’s agenda. Additionally, there are clear risks associated with dependence on Huawei’s surveillance technology.

This article was produced as part of the Spheres of Influence Uncovered project, implemented by n-ost, BIRN, Anhor, and JAM News, with financial support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Huawei-backed electric vehicle brands Aito and Luxeed have paused all online advertising campaigns on popular Chinese auto service platforms Autohome, Yiche, and Dongchedi, as part of a move seen as aimed at pursuing a more direct sales strategy and reported by multiple Chinese media outlets. All content collaborations have been suspended until a new deal is reached, a Huawei representative told Jiemian on Wednesday, adding that the prior contracts expired recently, without revealing further details. Sources added that Huawei-backed EV makers now see only a very small proportion of offline sales driven by digital advertising, thanks to Huawei’s already strong brand awareness in the Chinese technology sector. The news also comes as Huawei reportedly plans to run 800 car showrooms this year under a new brand called the Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance and to expand its footprint with 1,000 sales locations by 2025. Separately, an Aito M7 crossover was among the worst performers in a winter test for real-world driving range organized by Dongchedi last month. Aito later responded by saying the heater on the vehicle was on for more than an hour before the test, challenging the accuracy of the evaluation. [Jiemian, in Chinese]

A Chinese flag flutters near a Huawei store in Shanghai, China, Sept. 8. Reuters-Yonhap

Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies expects to report revenue exceeding 700 billion yuan ($98.5 billion) for 2023, according to comments from rotating chairman Ken Hu in an internal new year message seen by Reuters.

The figure indicates around 9 percent year-over-year revenue growth from the 642.3 billion yuan reported in 2022.

The forecast offers further evidence that Huawei is rebounding after U.S. sanctions starting in 2019 crippled some of its business lines by restricting access to critical global technologies such as advanced chips.

"Thanks to our partners across the value chain for standing with us through thick and thin. And I'd also like to thank every member of the Huawei team for embracing the struggle – for never giving up," Hu said.

"After years of hard work, we've managed to weather the storm. And now we're pretty much back on track."

In the message sent to staff, Hu said Huawei's device business segment, which includes its smartphone business, had performed better than expected in 2023.

In a surprising move in August, Huawei launched its Mate60 series of smartphones, which are believed to be powered by a domestically developed chipset. The release was widely viewed as marking Huawei's comeback into the high-end smartphone market after years of struggling under U.S. sanctions.

Huawei's smartphone shipments surged 83 percent in October year-on-year, helping the overall Chinese smartphone market to grow 11 percent over the same period, according to Counterpoint.

Looking ahead to 2024, Huawei said in the letter the device business would be one of the major business lines it would focus on for expansion.

"Our device business needs to double down on its commitment to developing best-in-class products and building a high-end brand with a human touch," the letter said.

Still, Huawei acknowledged in the letter that it faces significant challenges.

"Geopolitical and economic uncertainties abound, while technology restrictions and trade barriers continue to have an impact on the world," Hu noted.

To tackle these challenges, Hu said Huawei would focus on strengthening the efficiency of its business operations. This included initiatives to "streamline HQ, simplify management, and ensure consistent policy, while making adjustments where needed." (Reuters)