Chinese tech giant Huawei has launched what it claims is the world’s first 5G communications hardware in the automotive industry.
Last Monday, the company announced its new MH5000 module that’s based on the Balong 5000 5G chip it introduced in January. The new module was unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show and could prove very useful to future vehicles, Reuters reports.
“As an important communication product for future intelligent car transportation, this 5G car module will promote the automotive industry to move towards the 5G era,” Huawei said. The company intends on commercializing 5G network technology for the automotive sector in the second half of the year using its new module.
The use of 5G promises to open up doors for connected cars and Huawei has already signed deals with a number of Chinese car manufacturers, including FAW, Dongfeng and Changan to test its new technologies for connected cars.
Washington claims Huawei could use 5G for espionage
The Chinese company has been investing heavily in autonomous technologies in recent years, and in 2018 unveiled a DS 7 Crossback outfitted with its OceanConnect IoT platform. This platform is aimed at connected cars, smart homes, and smart cities and allows for seamless and secure interactions between the car and the cloud.
Promoting its technology in the U.S. market might prove problematic, however, as it has been accused by the White House that it could use it for espionage. In fact, last January the U.S. Department of Justice brought 13 criminal charges against it, although the company denied any wrongdoing.
In any case, Huawei is far from the only technology company with limited automotive experience looking to make its mark in the industry. Nvidia, for example, best known for making graphics processing units for computers, is investing heavily in autonomous technologies and is working on its own self-driving software and hardware.
