Huawei's Mate20 X Is Given China's First 5G Network License

China has granted Huawei the very first license to access the country's 5G network, the phone company announced on its official social media channel.

The 5G versions of the Mate20 X series are expected to be the first 5G phones to hit the market in China. They support standalone (SA) as well as non-standalone (NSA) 5G networks, Huawei said.

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New networks

NSA 5G networks are based on the existing 4G infrastructure, while SA networks need newer infrastructures tailored specifically to 5G Internet speeds.

Huawei has reportedly employed more than 2,000 engineers and experts in 5G research and development and is creating more than 10 5G research centers around the globe.

The telecom giant has established more than 46 commercial 5G contracts in 30 countries and has shipped more than 100,000 5G base stations.

China Mobile, one of China's major telecom operators, said earlier this month it has ordered more than 10,000 5G handsets for testing, including 5,000 Huawei Mate20 X phones.

New phones

In June, Huawei announced its new 5G-ready Mate X series, comprised of two separate models. The Mate20 X ^5G and a foldable version of the Huawei Mate X.

The Mate20 X will be the world's first 7nm mobile AI chipset, which they promise will vastly improve the user experience.

The two phones will retail in the UK with price tags £999 and £2,300, respectively.

Trade Tensions

The news comes amidst escalating trade tensions between China and the US, as well as reports that the Chinese government is speeding up their 5G rollout in response to the trade war.

However, this week has seen a glimmer of hope for Huawei, as news came out that United States chip makers, including Intel and Micron, are continuing to sell millions of dollars of their products to Huawei despite the Trump administration's ban on the sale of American technology to the Chinese tech giant.

Four insiders, who have chosen to remain anonymous, have made those claims. They spoke to the New York Times on the condition they not be named.

For the moment, Huawei seems to be ahead of the curve on 5G, despite Washington's ban.