Foxconn Sets up R&D Teams in North America and Europe to Develop 5G Equipment

Foxconn Technology Group has set up R&D teams in North Europe and America to develop smart computing devices as smartphones and tablet PCs, and cell towers for fifth-generation (5G) mobile-phone service to target releasing such wares in 2016 or 2017, with as many as 200 specialists to be hired soon from the current 60-70, according to F.M. Lu, corporate vice president and chairman of Asia Pacific Telecom Co., Ltd.

Industry executives say Foxconn, a major global contract manufacturer of electronic products, may be a setter of global specifications for 5G service with its efforts, while competing against Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. of  China and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. of South Korea for the lead.

Lu predicts the world to enter into 5G era 2018 to 2020 mostly due to prevalence of Internet of Things (IoT), which would create a market for tens of billions of 5G end-user devices, and integration of IoT in smart computing devices has begun taking off in 2014.

Such optimism has inspired governments of South Korea,  China, and Europe Union to promote 5G development, for which Huawei and Samsung have set aside billions of US-dollars. And the Taiwan government should fund R&D of local 5G-gear manufacturers to develop niche products. 5G technology has speedy transmission on high frequency bands and enables slim end-user devices, said Lu.

Industry executives see Foxconn's advantages in 5G and IoT developments as being its massive resources for contract manufacturing of computers, communications equipment and consumer electronics, coupled with its telecom subsidiary Asia Pacific's 4G service provision.

Foxconn will strengthen its 5G patent clout to back up its global competitiveness for Taiwan has been weak in telecommunication-technology patents. (KL)