Southeast Asian countries are highly interested in the promise of 5G connectivity.
The newly unveiled tech has been touted for its efficiency and its connectivity with boosted economic development. China Daily reported that Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei-despite the sanctions and troubled times the US imposed on it-is still the clear-cut choice for many of these countries, among others.
Members of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that are interested in the telecommunications company include Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand.
They have announced their willingness to partner with Huawei to spread the fifth-generation mobile technology across their existing communications networks. Other countries that have expressed interest include Brunei, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, and Singapore.
These Southeast Asian nations trained their eyes on strategic foreign policies, as well as economic considerations, in the implementation of these policies.
These can be completed with the deal with Huawei, according to Amalina Anuar, an analyst with the Center for Multilateralism Studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, a college within Singapore's Nanyang Technological University.
With these countries' interest in the fifth-generation technology, Huawei is eyeing the introduction of its first 5G-capable handset in its home market. The Mate 20X is up for pre-order, according to Tech Crunch. It has initially been released in the U.K. The release of the very first units in China is slated for August 16 this year.
The handset beat the foldable Mate X to the punch in the market; the Mate X has been the first to be introduced, making its debut during the Mobile World Congress, which was held in February.
Companies have been trying to navigate how to introduce these foldable variants of phones after Samsung went ahead with the introduction of the Samsung Galaxy Fold. It debuted in a mess where models were reportedly glitchy and error-prone.
China Mobile had started the 5G craze with its Huawei-powered 5G transport late last month. The commercial rollout of transport is expected to begin in October. The last two months have also been busy for the company, with its licenses to operate commercial 5G networks also granted after some delay. Even ZTE's Axon 10 Pro 5G has also been up for pre-sale in China.
ASEAN countries have always been on the radar for Huawei, who is always counted among the top brands in the region. At a conference this year, James Wu admitted how dedicated Huawei was to 5G propagation in the region, with industry opportunities worth $1.2 trillion to trickle in once the technology is in place.
