Former Google boss Eric Schmidt foresaw a day when there would be two separate internets: one led by China, the other by the US. Google has provided justification for a division. Following US blacklisting of Huawei, the Alphabet subsidiary has suspended the Chinese company’s access to key services. Unlike wireless equipment bans by the US, this one should mean lasting damage for Huawei. Huawei will be able to use only the basic, publicly available version of Android. Its future smartphones will lose access to millions of apps from the Google Play store, including Gmail and YouTube. The impact will be minimal in China and the US. Google apps have always been banned in China. Huawei’s AppGallery has more than enough options. As for the US, the Huawei phones are already largely unavailable. However, Huawei’s sales outside these regions are a concern… Huawei claims to have a plan B. It has been developing its own operating systems. But this will be not be easy… But take a step back. This move should provide Chinese groups with the catalyst to create their own platform for mobile phones. As Mr Schmidt notes, China’s Belt and Road Initiative involves more than 50 countries, which could move to China’s version. Google has brought the world of two internets closer, starting with mobile operating systems.

Lex.