(Telecompaper) Huawei will invest a minimum of USD 600 million in research and innovation for 5G technologies by 2018. The investment will cover a range of key enabling technologies, including the research of air-interface technology. Huawei predicts that the first 5G networks will be ready for commercial deployment starting in 2020 and will deliver peak data rates of over 10Gbps. To date, Huawei has participated in the EU's 5G research projects, worked on the establishment of the 5G Innovation Center (5GIC) in the UK, and participated in joint research programs with over twenty universities around the world. Huawei said it will be an active contributor in building 5G standards and ecosystems to drive a globally consistent standard across the industry.