The 5G race: China and South Korea are winning

The 5G race is being won by China and South Korea, according to a report conducted by research firm Analysys Mason and released today by CTIA, America's premier wireless industry association.

According to the research, China is in the lead, followed by South Korea, the U.S. and Japan. Germany, the U.K. and France are in the second tier of countries in terms of readiness.

America lags in “5G readiness” due to reliance on private providers -- Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint -- to build antenna infrastructure. China’s wireless providers, on the other hand, are streamlined by government mandate. 

Why this matters - 5G systems support 1k more devices per meter than 4G, using higher frequencies and secondary antennae to relay signals. It also eliminates the transmission inconsistencies and slowdowns caused by buildings, mountains, and crowds.

The global competition is propelling 5G development much faster than was originally expected, with carriers and some cities moving quickly to install infrastructure, said CTIA president and CEO Meredith Attwell Baker, a former FCC commissioner.

The Trump administration see this situation as a threat, especially from China.

Last month the administration blocked Broadcom's proposed buyout of Qualcomm on national security grounds. The administration also fears that Broadcom's business practices would weaken Qualcomm's and the U.S.'s 5G position — allowing Huawei a bigger advantage.

Key findings by Analysys Mason include:

All major Chinese providers have committed to specific launch dates and the government has committed to at least 100 MHz of mid-band spectrum and 2,000 MHz of high-band spectrum for each wireless provider.

Countries around the world are moving quickly to make spectrum available for 5G. This year alone, the U.K., Spain, and Italy are all holding 5G spectrum auctions.

At the end of 2018, the U.S. will rank sixth out of the 10 countries in mid-band (3–24GHz) spectrum availability, a critical band for 5G. The U.S. joins Russia and Canada as the only countries currently without announced plans to allocate mid-band spectrum on an exclusive basis to mobile by the end of 2020.

Countries like the U.K. and regions like the European Union are taking significant steps to modernize infrastructure rules to facilitate the deployment of 5G networks.

Read can read the report here: http://bit.ly/2HFbTqA

-Marc A. Ross

Marc A. Ross is the founder of Caracal Global and specializes in global communications and thought leader management at the intersection of politics, policy, and profits. Working with boardrooms and C-Suite executives from multinational corporations, trade associations, and disruptive startups, Marc helps business leaders navigate globalization, disruption, and American politics.

Mexico City, US-Japan, Netflix, Kendrick Lamar, El Segundo, Overworking

Mexico City, US-Japan, Netflix, Kendrick Lamar, El Segundo, Overworking

Marc Ross Daily
April 17, 2018
Curation and commentary from Marc A. Ross

Reporting from Alexandria, Virginia

Marc Ross Daily  = Global Business News at the Intersection of Politics + Policy + Profits

Subscribe here: https://goo.gl/bSQKwA

TOP FIVE

✔️ Slim adds his backing to $13bn Mexico City airport

✔️ A grumpy Trump welcomes Japan’s weakened leader

✔️ Netflix overseas sales to surpass US home market

✔️ Apple is planning to launch a news subscription service

✔️ NYT - Editorial: The President is not above the law

GEOECONOMICS

NAFTA: VP Pence and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said a deal for a renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement is possible in the coming weeks. 

Slim adds his backing to $13bn Mexico City airport: FT reports, billionaire extols benefits while admitting to worries if leftist candidate wins election.

Populism is bringing ‘civil war’ to Europe, warns Macron: The Times reports, the French president has warned that the European Union faces a “civil war” and “fascination with the illiberal” as nationalist governments in Poland and Hungary turn away from liberal democracy.

Commonwealth Summit: PM Theresa May yesterday opened a Commonwealth summit in London for the first time in 20 years. The three-day meeting will focus on post-Brexit trade opportunities and putting the Commonwealth at the heart of the UK’s new foreign policy. 

Brexit: Only 346 days to go

Trump and Abe face the first real test of their relationship: NYT reports, Trump will host Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan on Tuesday amid tensions over North Korea and American tariffs.

A grumpy Trump welcomes Japan’s weakened leader: WP reports, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the president are weathering scandals at home, with investigators and journalists poring over evidence of both leaders’ alleged cronyism.

China to allow full foreign ownership in auto industry: AP reports, China announced plans Tuesday to allow full foreign ownership of automakers in five years, ending restrictions that helped to fuel its trade dispute with U.S. President Donald Trump as it promotes electric car development. The change would scrap rules that require global automakers to work through state-owned partners, an arrangement that forces them to share technology with potential competitors. It was unclear whether that might mollify Trump, who has threatened tariff hikes on $150 billion of Chinese goods in response to complaints Beijing pressures foreign companies to hand over technology.

WSJ: China fends off trade trouble with 6.8% growth

NYT: China’s economy grows, and its trade gap with the US widens

DW: China logs solid growth despite trade row

US cuts off China's ZTE from American tech for seven years:Bloomberg reports, the U.S. government said Chinese telecommunications-gear maker ZTE Corp. violated the terms of a sanctions settlement and imposed a seven-year ban on purchases of crucial American technology needed to keep it competitive. The Commerce Department determined ZTE, which was previously fined for shipping telecommunication equipment to Iran and North Korea, subsequently paid full bonuses to employees who engaged in the illegal conduct, failed to issue letters of reprimand and lied about the practices to U.S. authorities, the department said.

Huawei, failing to crack US market, signals a change in tactics: NYT reports, last week, the company laid off five American employees, including William B. Plummer, the executive who was the face of its Sisyphean efforts to win over Washington, according to people familiar with the matter. Huawei has also been dialing back its political outreach in the United States, these people said — which could end a decade of mostly fruitless efforts to dispel Washington’s accusations that the company has ties to the Chinese government.

AMERICAN POLITICS

NYT - Editorial: The President is not above the law

"The president is not a king but a citizen, deserving of the presumption of innocence and other protections, yet also vulnerable to lawful scrutiny. We hope Mr. Trump recognizes this. If he doesn’t, how Republican lawmakers respond will shape the future not only of this presidency and of one of the country’s great political parties, but of the American experiment itself."

Hannity is named as client of Cohen: WSJ reports, Fox News commentator Sean Hannity was revealed in federal court to have been represented by Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen.

WP: There’s a ‘tsunami’ of companies applying for relief from Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs

How trade tensions will test companies and investors: Barron's reports, it’s not just the direct impact on targeted goods. Uncertainty over tariffs may cause businesses to delay or change spending and hiring plans. http://bit.ly/2qCqj2G

ENTERPRISE

Mastercard: Michael Froman, former USTR, is joining the company as vice chairman and president of strategic growth.

Domino's Pizza announced it is expanding its online ordering service to include 150,000 new delivery "hotspots" such as U.S. parks, beaches and other locations without traditional addresses.

Waymo applied to begin testing autonomous vehicles without human backup drivers on California roads.

Ford is building out a network of driverless taxis by 2021.

Bloomberg: Ola wants a million electric rides on India's roads by 2021

"Uber’s rival will start with 10,000 three-wheeled rickshaw"

Reuters: Robots will replace humans in retail, says China's JD.com

“Sooner or later, our entire industry will be operated by AI (artificial intelligence) and robots, not humans,” Richard Liu said retail executives at the annual World Retail Congress in Madrid. 

WSJ: Goldman Sachs profit jumps 26%

Would you pay $18.75 for ad-free Facebook? WP reports, Facebook's chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, recently told NBC that an ad-free iteration of the social network "would be a paid product." So how would a subscription-based, zero-ad Facebook work?

Reuters: J&J Baby Powder litigation takes new focus with asbestos claims

IPhone owners in the U.S. spent an average of $58 last year, up 23% from 2017, according to Sensor Tower. The bulk of spending, $36 per user, was on games.

Bloomberg: Apple is planning to launch a news subscription service

Zuckerberg’s dual role at Facebook helm draws fresh fire: FT reports, Illinois state treasurer joins push by New York City pension chief for an independent chairman.

Facebook has lost 'a lot of trust,' EU official warns: Handelsblatt reports, the EU justice commissioner accuses Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg of negligence in dealing with users' data. European and German politicians hope a tough new law will be a turning point.

Facebook employees earned a median pay package of more than $240,000 last year.

Netflix added 26 million subscribers during the past 12 months, reaching 125 million. The streaming service, which announced first-quarter results yesterday, said revenue had increased 40% to $3.7bn over the same period. Netflix predicts that next quarter, for the first time, most revenue will come from non-American subscribers. The firm said it will invest $10bn on content and marketing over the next year.

FT: Netflix overseas sales to surpass US home market

Comcast will begin bundling Netflix with plans for cable TV, phone, and internet starting this month.

General Assembly has agreed to be acquired by the Swiss workforce company Adecco for $412.5 million.

WPP is hit as fears grow of break-up: The Times, almost £1 billion was wiped off the value of WPP yesterday as the advertising giant launched a hunt for a chief executive to succeed Sir Martin Sorrell amid mounting fears that his exit could precipitate a break-up of the company. 

Samsung jumps on the blockchain bandwagon: Bloomberg reports, the world’s biggest maker of smartphones and semiconductors may use the technology behind cryptocurrencies to manage its vast global supply network.

TRENDS

Guardian: Scientists accidentally create mutant enzyme that eats plastic bottles: Scientists have created a mutant enzyme that breaks down plastic drinks bottles – by accident. The breakthrough could help solve the global plastic pollution crisis by enabling for the first time the full recycling of bottles. The new research was spurred by the discovery in 2016 of the first bacterium that had naturally evolved to eat plastic, at a waste dump in Japan. Scientists have now revealed the detailed structure of the crucial enzyme produced by the bug. http://bit.ly/2viTVaV

Wired: Sorry, but Amazon isn’t actually annihilating retail jobs http://bit.ly/2vjPtsh

"The diverse and interconnected variables that shape our economy and affect job markets are often unseen and difficult to evaluate, especially without the perspective of history."

You'll pay a lot, but you'll get more than you pay for. That's as useful a freelancer marketing strategy as you can fit in a single sentence. -- Seth Godin

Wall Street has lessons to learn about overworking: FT reports, there is no evidence that the culture of long hours yields better results. https://on.ft.com/2HpDD4O

Can smartphones stop the death of the salesman?https://on.wsj.com/2J1OfnL

How to save the mall: BOF reports, developers of premium shopping centers are reducing their dependence on fashion retail and doubling down on food, wellness, and other lifestyle offerings. http://bit.ly/2JQACZM

For retail to thrive, I recommend ideally all, or at best a combination of these tactics: The winning dozen:

Education                        
Experience                    
Entertainment                
Brandless                        
Efficiency + Explicit            
Niche                            
Voice
Entrepreneurial
Ethos
Instagram
Comms + Thought Leader
Nostalgia

CULTURE

LAT: Sleepy little El Segundo is suddenly on the radar and fighting to keep its small-town identity https://lat.ms/2ETHm5j

‘Civilizations’ is the most ambitious story about art ever told on television: WP reports, with a global scope that reaches right back to cave painting, the nine-part history of art, which begins Tuesday on PBS, is an unprecedented undertaking in the annals of television — and for some, compulsory viewing. https://wapo.st/2qCHX6c

Kendrick Lamar deserves his Pulitzer. Rap is the most significant music of our time. WP reports, the 30-year-old rap superstar won for his outstanding 2017 album, “DAMN.”

SPORT

$927,744 = That’s the average compensation for an athletic director at a university in the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac 12 or SEC.

How soccer’s most stubborn manager solved the Premier League: WSJ reports, Manchester City’s Premier League triumph is an era-defining title for manager Pep Guardiola and caps a decade of Guardiola-ball across the Continent. https://on.wsj.com/2Ht1mBi

Boston Marathon 2018: Desiree Linden wins, Sarah Sellers second on dominant day for Americans: CBS News, Yuki Kawauchi of Japan won the men's race while American Sarah Sellers finished second among the women.

CNN: American woman and Japanese man win Boston Marathon's elite divisions

Detroit Free Press: Des Linden of Washington Twp., Michigan, wins race

Linden ran an unofficial time of 2 hours, 39 minutes and 54 seconds. She's the first American woman to win the race in 33 years. 

Linden and Kawaucki ended 30-year droughts for their respective nations.

NAFTA, Communists, Shinzo Abe, Barbara Bush, Beyoncé, Manchester City

NAFTA, Communists, Shinzo Abe, Barbara Bush, Beyoncé, Manchester City

Marc Ross Daily
April 16, 2018
Curation and commentary from Marc A. Ross

Reporting from Alexandria, Virginia

Marc Ross Daily  = Global Business News at the Intersection of Politics + Policy + Profits

Subscribe here: https://goo.gl/bSQKwA

TOP FIVE

✔️ China’s Xi Jinping says he is opposed to lifelong rule

✔️ Shinzo Abe visits Trump at Mar-a-Lago this week

✔️ U.S. bans American cos from selling to China's ZTE

✔️ Beyoncé is bigger than Coachella

✔️ Manchester City clinches Premier League title

ROSS RANT

Go back to school

One of the best thought leader, low hanging fruit techniques is to get reconnected to your school - be it high school, college, or graduate. 

You need your schools.

Over the last few days, I have been down in Chapel Hill, North Carolina attending alumni weekend festivities for the Kenan-Flagler Business School. I was fortunate to be asked to speak with two marketing classes of current students on the intersection of the retail sector and public policy as well as lead a lecture on retail disruption for the alumni back on campus. You can see the decks here: retail politics and retail disruption.

Talking with students as they are about to embark on their careers is a fantastic opportunity. To answer their questions and share your experience I find to be a most wonderful exchange for all involved. Also, you need to be on your game as your audience has immediate access to the WWW to challenge your ideas in real-time, or worse, you are white noise as they tune you out, so they update their Pinterest pages.

Speaking with the alumni, be it 2017 MBA graduates not even 365 days out of college, or older students who departed the school in the 80s, 70s, and even 60s can't be beaten as a venue to present your ideas. This type of cross-generation audience fosters an exchange of experience and knowledge that is a challenge to replicate on a daily workday.

As you think about upping your thought leadership game as a means to improve your experience and knowledge, think about going back to school. Reach out to that alumni director, speak with a former teacher, or find conference taking place on campus.

The ability to share ideas, speak with students, engage alumni from decades past in a safe and friendly environment is a powerful tool that will help you expand your thought leader capabilities. 

GEOECONOMICS

NAFTA: Why the US car industry is trapped in Trump’s trade crossfire https://on.ft.com/2qAPaEW

China’s Communists rewrite the rules for foreign businesses:NYT reports, the party is strengthening its influence — often gaining direct decision-making power — over the international firms doing business in China. https://nyti.ms/2JHEZ9k

FT: China caught off guard by unpredictable Trump

Same.

China delays deal reviews as U.S. trade frictions build: WSJ reports, Qualcomm and Bain Capital are most at risk if the delays scuttle their respective deals. Putting off approvals of cross-border deals that could benefit U.S. firms is bound to further rattle policy makers in Washington as the two sides enter the next phase of high-stakes dance. “Merger reviews and decisions should be based on consistent, scientific, market-based calculations and never the politics of U.S.-China relations,” said Jacob Parker, vice president of China operations at the U.S.-China Business Council.

U.S. bans American companies from selling to China's ZTE: Reuters reports, the U.S. Department of Commerce is banning American companies from selling components to Chinese telecom equipment maker ZTE Corp for seven years for violating the terms of a sanctions violation case.

FT: China’s Xi Jinping says he is opposed to lifelong rule

Asia’s reliance onU.S. takes backseat to China: Bloomberg reports, Japan and China are holding their first high-level economic dialogue in almost eight years against a backdrop of trade threats from U.S. President Donald Trump. China has replaced the U.S. as the number one trading partner for most nations in Asia, even those that have military alliances with the U.S., like South Korea and Japan.

China and Japan hold first economic talks in eight years. 

LAT: Snubbed by Trump, Japanese leader returns for summitat Mar-a-Lago

Tokyo fears Trump could link security with trade atsummitwith Abe: Reuters reports, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe could find his oft-touted close ties with Donald Trump sorely tested at a summit this week in which Tokyo fears the U.S. leader will to try to link vital security matters with touchy trade topics.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits Trump at Mar-a-Lago on April 17-18.

Topics on the agenda:

Reconsidering TPP
Dealing with North Korea
Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs
Chinese influence

WP: Trump’s trade moves could send Germany into a recession, report warns

Air strikes on Syria will not change war’s trajectory: FT reports, the US drew a red line, but its response runs the risk of being seen as weak.

Washington plans to impose new sanctions on Moscow today, punishing it for having helped the Syrian government use what are believed to be chemical weapons.

Friday's airstrikes, which hit three targets, were intended to keep the West from being dragged further into Syria’s seven-year war. 

AMERICAN POLITICS

Some Republicans see House Speaker race as an open field: WSJ reports, the race to succeed Paul Ryan as House speaker is an open field, some Republicans say, even as Majority Whip Steve Scalise has been hesitant to pose a direct challenge to Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

A post-Trump GOP might emerge from a Ryan Underground: The immediate future, for both Trump and what is now his party, is bleak. But perhaps this upcoming time in the wilderness will enable the emergence of a new right-of-center Ryan Underground movement that helps Republicans reclaim their status as the party of ideas. LAT - Dan Schnur

NYT: Barbara Bush, seriously ill at 92, is stopping treatment

Supreme Court considers whether states should have powerto tax all online sales: WP reports, can states force retailers with a “virtual presence” to collect tax on sales?

Fintech in the US is stymied by old-fashioned regulatorshttps://on.ft.com/2HBL6vc

ENTERPRISE

WPP CEO Sorrell, contending with probe, decided to resign: WSJ reports, before stepping down, Martin Sorrell faced a choice: endure an investigation into an allegation of personal misconduct, or leave the advertising giant he founded, say people familiar with the board and Mr. Sorrell.

Volkswagen’s commercial-vehicles unit said it is considering a full takeover of Navistar.

MoviePass, the $9.95-a-month cinema subscription service, could shake up the film industry — if it survives long enough https://lat.ms/2vgxeEg

Silicon Valley venture capitalists prepare for an IPO wave: NYT reports, investors, bankers, and analysts said they expected a wave of initial public offerings to bring some of the most highly valued and recognizable start-ups to the public market over the next 18 to 24 months — and billions of dollars in returns to their executives and investors. The potential bonanza would follow years of waiting as a few dozen companies amassed valuations without precedent in the private market.

Google’s Facebook copycat moves leave it more exposed to privacy backlash: Bloomberg reports, Facebook took all the heat, but consumers are still skittish about the search giant when it comes to privacy.

Spanish luxury brands buoyed by high-end touristshttps://on.ft.com/2JQbFgP

Blackstone to embark on $4.6 billion corporate shopping spree in Japan.

Elon Musk worries that AI will create an “immortal dictator.”

Japanese convenience stores limber up in effort to spur growth https://on.ft.com/2HmPErR

TRENDS

Why glass milk bottle deliveries are back: As concern over plastic pollution rises, a pint-sized revolution is taking place on doorsteps across the UK. https://on.ft.com/2H27qB7

Nostalgia and ethos - two of the winning tactics for companies and brands to embrace in this new business environment.

Should female athletes sue the networks for equal coverage?http://bit.ly/2H75tze

How to take on ‘Big Sugar’ and win https://on.ft.com/2GZYD2C

CULTURE

RIP: R. Lee Ermey, 'Full Metal Jacket' sergeant, dies at 74

What was it like to live in Watergate? Before its name became a byword for corruption and criminality, "Watergate" meant luxury living for DC's elite. http://bit.ly/2IY08eg

How Beyoncé changed Coachella's temperature: LAT reports, the pop superstar's knockout performance signals the festival's larger effort to diversify its view.

Beyoncé is bigger than Coachella: Beyoncé set a new standard with her performance at the Coachella festival in California, according to the NYT pop music critic.

PODCAST

The Bob Lefsetz Podcast: Shirley Manson: She's the lead singer of Garbage, opens up about growing up in Scotland, religion, music, and sexuality, on this week's episode of The Bob Lefsetz Podcast.http://bit.ly/2vqZ8O7

SPORT

Manchester City clinches Premier League title.

AFP: Manchester City target Premier League dynasty

NFL draft: AP reports, Big D is about something other than Dallas. The NFL is bringing its Big D — the draft — to Jerry Jones’ palace. This draft, the first in a stadium, will pay homage in so many ways to the cliche that everything is bigger in Texas. Ever since the league decided to put the draft up for bids and move it around the country, the focus has been to make it grow even larger than the cottage industry it has become.

Most selections (12): Green Bay Packers
Dates: Apr 26, 2018 – Apr 28, 2018
First selection: Cleveland Browns