The uncertainty over ZTE’s future could leave a vacancy for a challenger equipment vendor, nipping at the heels of Huawei, Ericsson and Nokia. Even if ZTE bounces back (see lead item), the operators are very keen to expand their supply chain and encourage more competition when it comes to 5G infrastructure. Some of these challengers may emerge from the ranks of start-ups being supported by MNOs within initiatives like the Facebook-led Telecom Infra Project (TIP), but there are some other candidates which are far closer to the commercial big time. In particular, Samsung and NEC, which outside their home countries have had little impact on the RAN market, are gearing up for a bigger role in 5G. NEC hopes to…