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Odd Theories of Leadership Float About the Capital
There have been some odd theories circulating in Washington recently about who might assume the 5G mantle for the United States should Qualcomm take a serious hit to its business model from the upcoming decision in a case brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) against the company. If Judge Lucy H. Koh of the Northern District of California rules that Qualcomm has been abusing its monopoly power to cause harm to the mobile industry and sharply curtails the rents it can charge for its intellectual property, the company won’t have enough retained earnings to fund investment in R&D. Advanced cellular technology has an investment horizon of five to 10 years. Wireless technologies take years to mature along the dimensions of manufacturability, reliability, features, performance, and cost. Advancing telecommunications standards is not a game you step into overnight.
Apple is coyly letting it be known that it has plenty of firepower ready to deploy toward carrying the 5G banner. This claim is brazen. Apple is nearly clueless in 5G, as illustrated by its having chosen to cozy up to the loser in the wireless modem wars — Intel. As a result of this choice, Apple will be a year or more late to market with its own 5G handsets. Intel already wiffed its first generation of 5G modem, and if it flubs the second, Apple will face a two-year lag in implementing 5G in its…
