Hello everyone, this is Lauly. I am writing this week's #techAsia on my way back to Taipei from a 5G industry event in Taoyuan, a rising hub for 5G technologies. It has been two weeks since U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. China responded with several days of live-fire military drills around the democratically-governed island, but despite the rising tensions, business here goes on, as does daily life for ordinary people. A department store I went to over the weekend was packed with crowds, and I even had to wait in line to get a table at a coffee shop.
The 5G industry event drew executives from many key tech suppliers, including iPhone assemblers Foxconn and Pegatron and MacBook builder Quanta Computer. Tech suppliers see a chance in the emerging field of 5G private networks to shift away from low-margin consumer electronics and foray into telecom equipment, a field long dominated by giants like Huawei Technologies and Ericsson. Private 5G wireless networks are dedicated local networks for use in a specific facility or location, such as a factory or a farm. Grabbing such opportunities has become more important than ever as the industry braces for slowing consumer electronics demand and a looming economic recession.
