Polish internet company Cyfrowy Polsat to launch 5G networks in seven major cities
Poland will launch 5G telecommunication networks for commercial use in seven cities today.
The networks are expected to offer data speeds between 50-100 times faster than the current 4G infrastructure allows. Cyfrowy Polsat, the Polish company rolling out the networks, announced on January 3 that it will be using Nokia and Ericsson technology. By doing so, Cyfrowy effectively snubbed China’s Huawei and avoided wrangling with the US. In September 2019, US Vice President Mike Pence travelled to Warsaw and signed a 5G cooperation agreement in a bid to block Poland from using Huawei in its 5G rollout.
However, Huawei equipment still has an even chance of being used by telecommunication companies using the 5G network. Citing high costs, President Andrzej Duda’s government is reluctant to fund alternative equipment for telecoms that still rely on Huawei products.
The problem for Warsaw is that Huawei continues to sell well in Poland; its products account for 29% of the cellphone market, second only to Samsung. Should Poland end up with Huawei products within its 5G networks, it will likely draw the ire of the Washington. However, the strong personal relationship between the nationalist populist leaders—Duda and President Donald Trump—is likely to cushion any fallout.
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