By Chen Cheng-hui / Staff reporterAbout 50 telecom operators around the world have launched commercial 5G services and the number is expected to more than triple to 170 next year, indicating that 5G commercialization should proceed faster than expected, Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute (MIC, 產業情報研究所) said. MIC estimated that global 5G handset shipments would hit 260 million units next year and 540 million units in 2021, the Liberty Times reported on Thursday. While 5G has faster transmission speeds, 5G signals have a shorter transmission distance than 4G signals and do not transmit very well through walls and tend to weaken during transmission, Chung said. “The 5G trend looks set to bring exponential growth opportunities for Taiwanese component makers and networking equipment suppliers. However, challenges for the 5G industry include telecom operators’ attitude toward 5G investment, the realignment of the 5G supply chain and the progress of 5G spectrum license granting, Wang said.
