Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei hopes for improved US-China relations

Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei hopes US-China relations will improve under the Biden administration over the long-term.

“I hope the new US administration will come up with more open policies that are in the interests of US companies and the US economy as a whole,” Zhengfei said during a recent ceremony.

“Trade benefits both sides. Allowing US companies to supply goods to Chinese customers is conducive to their own financial performance. If Huawei's production capacity...

12 February 2021 | Legislation & Government

HSBC faces court battle as Huawei seeks to halt CFO’s extradition

Chinese telecoms giant Huawei is taking HSBC bank to court in a bid to stop the extradition of its chief financial officer to the US.

Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada in 2018 at the request of US authorities over claims she committed fraud by misleading HSBC in 2013.

Wanzhou allegedly misled HSBC and used Huawei subsidiaries to flout US sanctions against Iran.

Last year, Wanzhou’s lawyers accused US authorities of deliberately misleading their...

12 February 2021 | Legislation & Government

Ericsson CEO continues lobbying Swedish gov to overturn Huawei ban

Ericsson CEO Börje Ekholm is continuing to lobby the Swedish government to overturn a ban of Huawei’s equipment.

Ekholm has been vocal in opposing the ban since it was announced in October last year.

Dagens Nyheter reports Ekholm has sent a series of phone messages to Foreign Trade Minister Anna Hallberg calling for her to review the ban order by the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS).

Hallberg has said she has not had any contact with the PTS over the...

4 January 2021 | Legislation & Government

US set to approve $1.9B fund to help telcos replace Huawei and ZTE

US lawmakers are set to approve a $1.9 billion fund aimed towards helping the nation’s telcos replace equipment from Huawei and ZTE.

As Telecoms reported in July, the FCC officially designated the Chinese vendors as national security threats this year.

“Both companies have close ties to the Chinese Communist Party and China’s military apparatus, and both companies are broadly subject to Chinese law obligating them to cooperate with the country’s intelligence...

21 December 2020 | Legislation & Government

UK brings forward its deadline for carriers to ditch Huawei

The British government has brought forward a ban preventing carriers from installing Huawei’s telecoms equipment.

Operators are banned from installing Huawei’s equipment in the UK’s 5G networks from September 2021, the government has said. The vendor’s gear is still banned from purchase as of 31st December 2020.

"Today I am setting out a clear path for the complete removal of high-risk vendors from our 5G networks," Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden said in a...

30 November 2020 | Legislation & Government

UK security bill sets out penalties if telcos use Huawei equipment

The UK has set out the security legislation that will enforce the ban on Huawei’s telecoms equipment, and it features some hefty penalties.

The Telecommunications Security Bill bans telcos from purchasing Huawei’s equipment from 2021. Huawei’s existing gear must be removed entirely from British networks by 2027.

Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden said:

“We are investing billions to roll out 5G and gigabit broadband across the country, but the benefits can...

24 November 2020 | Legislation & Government

Huawei appears to get a slight reprieve from US trade ban

Huawei’s business appears to be getting a slight reprieve from a US trade ban which has pressured the firm over the past year.

Huawei was added to the US Chamber of Commerce’s so-called Entity List earlier this year; meaning American companies are banned from doing business with Huawei without explicit permission. The decision was reinforced in July when the FCC officially designated Huawei a national security threat.

Although Huawei has increased the production of...

16 November 2020 | Legislation & Government

Oxford Economics: Huawei is responsible for over 220,000 jobs in Europe

A report from Oxford Economics suggests that Huawei is responsible for over 220,000 jobs across Europe.

The report is released as Huawei faces bans across many Western countries over security concerns led by the US.

Huawei contributed €16.4 billion to Europe's GDP and supported 224,300 jobs in 2019, according to the report.

The Chinese telecoms giant holds the largest global marketshare (~35.3%) of any vendor. The second-largest, Nokia, holds less than half...

9 November 2020 | Networks

Huawei takes legal action over Sweden’s ban of its equipment

Huawei isn’t taking Sweden’s ban of its equipment lying down and has launched a legal appeal.

“We think the decision that has been taken is not good for customers nor for Sweden in general,” said Kenneth Fredriksen, Huawei’s Executive Vice President of Central East Europe and the Nordics, to Reuters earlier today.

“We, therefore, want a Swedish court to look at if the decision has been taken through a proper process and according to the...

6 November 2020 | Legislation & Government

Huawei report suggests the UK’s 5G delay risks £108B economic boost

A report for Huawei conducted by Assembly Research highlights the potential costs of the UK delaying its 5G rollout.

The UK’s decision in July to ban Huawei’s equipment has been widely acknowledged – including by the government – as setting back the country’s 5G rollout while simultaneously making it more expensive.

Matthew Howett, Principal Analyst and Founder of Assembly, said:

“The Government’s own expectation of its restrictions on Huawei is...

28 October 2020 | Legislation & Government