US-China trade war is winning at a $12 trillion technology — 5G

Mobile internet requires “standards” that can be agreed upon globally so that companies that make telecoms equipment, as well as mobile carriers, can roll out the technology around the world. The specifications for 5G were agreed upon in December.

But now the real race is on as equipment firms like ZTE and Huawei and European companies such as Nokia and Ericsson move to take a lead in 5G. U.S. chipmakers like Qualcomm and Intel are also involved as well as the carriers. And that’s a part of what the trade war is about, according to Declan Ganley, CEO of communications company Rivada Networks.

“It’s about who is going to define and control the model, the architecture, and the agenda of 5G, and why that matters is because 5G is the deep blue ocean of the cyber domain,” Ganley told CNBC in a phone interview earlier this week.

“So there is a big strategic play here, it’s more important than shipping lanes and being able to control your own airspace, it’s one of the most important domains that exists and that his ultimately what this is about.”