Re: How can 5G be displaced so quickly
"I also find it consistently sad that I see so many comments here touting Chinese for 5G"
Huawei can sell you a 5G infrastructure that works now. End-to-end catering for almost all current functions for 5G either as Huawei parts or tested third-party parts with documented integration steps.
Ericsson can cobble together a 5G infrastructure in 2020/2021 that will have a few of the pieces delivered as upgrades or on a 4G infrastructure and if you want some functionality, you can add third-party components at your own risk.
Nokia are likely one year behind Ericsson assuming Intel can deliver parts in 2020.
ZTE are behind Nokia, but target the cost-conscious end of the market so make up for it on TCO and don't need to be as bleeding edge as Huawei/Ericsson/Nokia.
Samsung have Korea and anyone else they can sell to.
Add in Nokia and Ericsson having had a few lean years and big R&D investments in 5G and you can see the risk they are carrying until they can get products/solutions in the market. Huawei's lead means both companies will be less profitable than they would like and I would be surprised if we see both still in the market when 6G roles around. Yes...the last 25 years of manufacturing telecommunications equipment has been brutal.