5G to bring $1.2 trillion industry opportunity in Southeast Asia

DHAKA, Feb. 26 (NsNewsWire) — 5G will bring industry opportunities worth $1.2 trillion in Southeast Asia
in the next five years, Huawei’s regional president James Wu said at the Mobile World Congress 2019 on
Sunday.
In a media interview at MWC (Mobile World Congress) in Barcelona, James Wu, president of Huawei
Southeast Asia said, “Southeast Asia will stand out with the fastest GDP growth around 5-6% in the
next five years, and digital economy will be the major driver behind such growth accounting for 20
percent. We are committed to developing the digital economy of Southeast Asian countries, and
collaborating with partners in order to build a digital ecosystem.”
Wu predicted that massive commercial use of 5G in 11 countries and regional markets, such as India,
Thailand, Vietnam and Hong Kong will start as early as 2020. In the next five years, the number of 5G
subscribers in the region will top 80 million. Wireless, digital and intelligent equipment will improve social
productivity by 4-8% on average.
According to the regional president, the ICT giant has received invitation from multiple countries and
customers across Southeast Asia to 5G trials.
“I believe 2019 will be a significant year for 5G in Southeast Asia. Huawei, as the world's leading vendor
of 5G, will help all operators in the region realize their 5G dreams. We will continuously invest in 5G,
broadband, cloud, artificial intelligence and smart devices, to help our customers maximize the benefits of
this emerging technology.”
Since last year, the Chinese tech giant has been facing challenges by the US-lead campaign that urges its
allies to exclude Huawei from their 5G development, claiming the company's technology would
compromise national and user security. Huawei denies the claims that its technology could be used for
espionage, and until now no evidence has been raised to support the allegations. And recently, the UK
has concluded that the risks posed by Huawei 5G equipment could be mitigated.
“All countries should not turn 5G into a political or ideological issue,” Wu said. “We prove ourselves with
20 years of cyber security record in Southeast Asia to all government and people, that Huawei can be
trusted. I’m sure that they have a clear judgement. As an exemplar of emerging markets, Southeast Asia
needs to cooperate with ICT vendors who truly contribute locally.”
Huawei has been investing in 5G for more than 10 years, and is recognized with 12 to 18 months of
leading advantage in the market. Industrial experts argued that banning Huawei from 5G development
could delay the entire network growth.
“I believe, the wisest and most pragmatic choice is to create an environment where all vendors can fairly
compete with each other. Huawei welcomes competition, because it leads to the most efficient
investment into 5G infrastructure, and benefits to the general public of all countries. My suggestion is, go
digital, not political. And this is a choice that serves the interested of all stakeholders,” Wu said. press release