China outpaces US in 5G technology by heaps

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When it comes to 5G, unless one is traveling internationally, there isn't much chance that one will be enjoying its fast speed on a 5G phone that you'd get on a 4G phone if one were to stream games anywhere with good internet. 

In a piece by The Wall Street Journal, it was revealed that US telecommunication companies AT&T and Verizon's 5G internet networks are often significantly slower than 4G networks they replace. The United States is behind in every dimension of 5G whereas other countries such as China have far progressed. 

While the average 5G internet speed in the US is 75 megabits per second, in China's urban centers it runs at 300 megabits per second, and South Korea's is at 400 megabits per second. China's speed is fast enough to download a movie in HD in 2 minutes. 

The US' 5G upload speeds are slower than that of many first-world countries, including Singapore and Canada. The 5G speeds in major US cities like Boston, Chicago and New York are 10% lower than 4G, while in Washington, LA and Texas, Verizon's 5G speeds are 20% slower than the company's 4G.

Although US sanctions have targeted Huawei, the company remains the best in supplying 5G infrastructure with 30% of the total market, supplying Saudi Arabia, Turkey and South Africa. However, no US firms have sold such infrastructure abroad. 

Washington has been hesitant about building 5G infrastructure, and this comes with a cost. China has installed over a million 5G base stations, while the US has only built half that amount. When it comes to fiber optics, that of the US are less dense than those of developed countries like Japan. 

Furthermore, in terms of legislation, China's investment in 5G, which amounts to $50 billion till now (with a budget of $100 billion set to be spent within the next five years), runs far more than the meager $1.5 billion that has been authorized by the US Senate in the Innovation and Competition Act.

These numbers depict how the US has been falling behind on technological advancements and manufacturing. At the rhythm by which China is progressing, the Asian giant China will be leading in semiconductor manufacture and in biotechnologies used to treat cancer by 2030.

For the US to catch up with China on 5G, it's going to take it a lot more than $1.5 billion.