• Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Supplier Directory
  • SCB YouTube
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Logout
  • My Profile
  • LOGISTICS
    • Air Cargo
    • All Logistics
    • Express/Small Shipments
    • Facility Location Planning
    • Freight Forwarding/Customs Brokerage
    • Global Gateways
    • Global Logistics
    • Last Mile Delivery
    • Logistics Outsourcing
    • LTL/Truckload Services
    • Ocean Transportation
    • Rail & Intermodal
    • Reverse Logistics
    • Service Parts Management
    • Transportation & Distribution
  • TECHNOLOGY
    • All Technology
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud & On-Demand Systems
    • Data Management (Big Data/IoT/Blockchain)
    • ERP & Enterprise Systems
    • Forecasting & Demand Planning
    • Global Trade Management
    • Inventory Planning/ Optimization
    • Product Lifecycle Management
    • Sales & Operations Planning
    • SC Finance & Revenue Management
    • SC Planning & Optimization
    • Sourcing/Procurement/SRM
    • Supply Chain Visibility
    • Transportation Management
  • GENERAL SCM
    • Business Strategy Alignment
    • Education & Professional Development
    • Global Supply Chain Management
    • Global Trade & Economics
    • HR & Labor Management
    • Quality & Metrics
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • SC Security & Risk Mgmt
    • Supply Chains in Crisis
    • Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility
  • WAREHOUSING
    • All Warehouse Services
    • Conveyors & Sortation
    • Lift Trucks & AGVs
    • Order Fulfillment
    • Packaging
    • RFID, Barcode, Mobility & Voice
    • Robotics
    • Warehouse Management Systems
  • INDUSTRIES
    • Aerospace & Defense
    • Apparel
    • Automotive
    • Chemicals & Energy
    • Consumer Packaged Goods
    • E-Commerce/Omni-Channel
    • Food & Beverage
    • Healthcare
    • High-Tech/Electronics
    • Industrial Manufacturing
    • Pharmaceutical/Biotech
    • Retail
  • THINK TANK
  • WEBINARS
    • On-Demand Webinars
    • Upcoming Webinars
  • PODCASTS
  • VIDEOS
  • WHITEPAPERS
Home » Huawei Is Escaping European Ban, But 5G Regulators Are Closing In

Huawei Is Escaping European Ban, But 5G Regulators Are Closing In

Huawei Is Escaping European Ban, But 5G Regulators Are Closing In
April 17, 2019
Bloomberg

Huawei Technologies Co.’s ability to make inroads into Europe’s future telecom infrastructure may be more about regulatory hurdles than outright bans.

The U.S. has been engaged in a vocal campaign to keep Chinese tech companies out of advanced 5G networks that promise faster connections, enabling uses such as autonomous vehicles and remote surgery. U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has claimed that the companies could be tools for state espionage.

While no European agency has targeted Huawei by name, U.S. warnings haven’t exactly fallen on deaf ears: the region’s regulators have been tightening standards that may hit Huawei harder than Nokia Oyj and Ericsson AB, its main European rivals.

In Germany, authorities have proposed tighter security rules for data networks rather than outlawing Huawei. The U.K. is currently considering the results of a review into the resilience of the telecom supply chain. The French parliament started to debate this month on a bill that would subject equipment to tests tantamount to suppliers handing over industrial secrets to be eligible to bid for contracts. Nokia and Ericsson have said they’ll comply.

The battle for Huawei’s future in Europe’s infrastructure is entering a key moment. Europe’s telecom operators hurtling toward their 5G rollouts are updating contracts to build out networks. Prior to the fallout between China and the U.S. — and the ongoing trade battle — Huawei was set to be in prime position to win lucrative business.

No Bans

“We’ve seen progress in Europe. Risk-based frameworks are being put in place. This isn’t just about banning technology,” Rob Strayer, the U.S. State Department’s deputy assistant for cyber policy, said in a recent call with reporters.

European politicians have gone to significant lengths not to point fingers at Chinese companies. During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to France late last month, Emmanuel Macron and his advisers avoided any public discussion of Huawei or cybersecurity. Instead, Macron said Europe is trying to build “a coherent strategy” with China.

“There are two things I don’t believe in,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel said at a conference in March in Berlin. “First, to discuss these very sensitive security questions publicly, and second, to exclude a company simply because it’s from a certain country.’’

Over the weekend, the president of the Bundesnetzagentur, Germany’s federal network agency, told the Financial Times that no telecom equipment supplier should be specifically excluded.

‘Not Fair’

For its part, Huawei has been crying foul, calling the U.S. allegations baseless.

“This kind of groundless allegation that put the hat over our head as a Chinese spy or these kind of things is not fair,” Huawei representative to the EU institutions, Abraham Liu, in an interview with Bloomberg TV Monday. “The truth has to be based on the facts and the facts have to be verifiable."

Huawei has also sought to praise Europe’s measured approach.

"We all agree that this is an important part — that digitization has to be based on a safe network,” Liu said. “But how to solve this problem? How to address this kind of concept from different stakeholders? I think Germany has set a benchmark, a kind of example, and we are part of a solution for that."

Europe’s Outliers

Despite the lack of an outright ban, the U.S. has offered both praise and warnings to its European allies for its approach. Strayer recently praised Germany for making progress toward adopting strict 5G standards. Ellen Lord, U.S. undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, called European reluctance to ban the Chinese equipment maker “a huge concern,” while also praising the region for “leaning forward to work with us.”

There remain European outliers. During a visit in March President Xi recruited Italy’s populist government into his global Belt and Road development project. In Eastern Europe, Croatia signed an agreement on cooperation with Huawei, and this month Hungary, where Huawei employs more than 2,000 people, said it wants to deepen the relationship across a range of areas from education to the environment.

“Hopefully we can talk to Italy and other countries about not putting insecure gear into their networks. It could affect our ability to share intelligence,” said Strayer.

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED VIDEOS

Data Management (Big Data/IoT/Blockchain) Cloud & On-Demand Systems Technology Regulation & Compliance High-Tech/Electronics
KEYWORDS Big Data/IOT Cloud, SaaS & On-Demand Systems Europe High-Tech/Electronics Regulation & Compliance Technology
  • Related Articles

    Huawei Dodges EU Bans as Bloc Unveils 5G Cyber Plan

    Huawei Crackdown Exposes Europe as Laggard in Global 5G Race

    Trump Huawei Ban Ripples Across Industry as Supplies Halted

Bloomberg

Global Oil Trade Shakes Up After Fires at U.S. Fuelmakers

More from this author

Wake up to live
“Supply Chains in Crisis”
updates and the latest Supply Chain News!

Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter

Timely, incisive articles delivered directly to your inbox.

Popular Stories

  • INTERIOR OF A CHICKEN FARM, WITH WHITE CHICKENS AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE

    Worst Avian Flu in U.S. History Is Hitting Poultry

    Food & Beverage
  • TWO FINGERS MANIPULATE WOODEN LETTER BLOCKS TO TURN FROM SHOWING THE WORD RECOVERY TO RESILIENCE

    Five Challenges to Supply Chain Resilience in 2023

    Supply Chain Visibility
  • A PERSON HOLDS UP A TABLET COMPUTER IN A WAREHOUSE, SUPER-IMPOSED BY A GRAPHIC SHOWING A COMPLEX WEB OF SUPPLY CHAIN ELEMENTS

    Three Post-Pandemic Actions for Repairing Global Supply Chains

    Data Management (Big Data/IoT/Blockchain)
  • A MAN IN A SUIT SHAKES HANDS WITH A WOMAN IN A HARD HAT, NEXT TO A STACK OF CONTAINERS

    Three Procurement Technology Evolutions for 2023

    Sourcing/Procurement/SRM
  • The blank stare of a child's eye who is standing behind what appears to be a wooden frame

    The Alarming Continued Rise of Modern Slavery in Supply Chains: How Procurement Can Help Reverse the Trend

    Sourcing/Procurement/SRM

Digital Edition

Scb nov 2022 sm

2022 Supply Chain Innovator of the Year

VIEW THE LATEST ISSUE

Case Studies

  • New Revenue for Cloud-Based TMS that Embeds Orderful’s Modern EDI Platform

  • Convenience Store Client Maximizes Profit and Improves Customer Service

  • A Digitally Native Footwear Brand Finds Rapid Fulfillment

  • Expanding Apparel Brand Scales Seamlessly with E-Commerce Technology

  • How a Global LSP Scaled its Security Program and Won More Business

Visit Our Sponsors

Orderful Yang Ming Alithya
Barcoding Blue Yonder BNSF Logistics
CoEnterprise Data Capture Deposco
E2open GAINSystems Generix
Geodis GEP GreyOrange
Here Honeywell Intelligrated IFM
Infor Inmar Keelvar
Kinaxis Korber Lean Solutions Group 2H
Liberty SBF Locus Robotics Logility
LogistiVIEW Lucas Systems MCA Connect
MPO Nvidia Old Dominion
OpenText ORTEC Overhaul
Parsyl PMMI QIMA
Redwood Logistics Ryder E-commerce by Whiplash Saddle Creek Logistics
Schneider Dedicated Setlog Holding AG Ship4WD
Shipwell Tecsys TGW Systems
Thomson Reuters Tive Trailer Bridge
Vecna Robotics Verity
Verusen
  • More From SCB
    • Featured Content
    • Video Library
    • Think Tank Blog
    • SupplyChainBrain Podcast
    • Whitepapers
    • On-Demand Webinars
    • Upcoming Webinars
  • Digital Offerings
    • Digital Issue
    • Subscribe
    • Manage Your Subscription
    • Newsletters
  • Resources
    • Events Calendar
    • SCB's Great Supply Chain Partners
    • Supplier Directory
    • Case Study Showcase
    • Supply Chain Innovation Awards
    • 100 Great Partners Form
  • SCB Corporate
    • Advertise on SCB.COM
    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    • Data Sharing Opt-Out

All content copyright ©2023 Keller International Publishing Corp All rights reserved. No reproduction, transmission or display is permitted without the written permissions of Keller International Publishing Corp

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing