There’s more coming in to the Huawei/China-US battle, that has ensued to become one of the largest in tech history. According to a new report coming in via Reuters, some of the biggest names in the tech industry have restricted their employees form communicating with their counterparts at the Chinese telecom giant Huawei.
According to Reuters report, Intel Corp and Qualcomm Inc, both well known names in the microprocessor industry, have restricted their employee’s direct interaction with the Chinese tech giant. Other companies which have made the same decision includes LG Uplus (South Korean cellular carrier) and InterDigital Wireless Inc (a mobile research and development company renowned for their wireless techs for mobile devices).
It is now being speculated that this development could hit hard, the development of 5G comms tech in the US. The exact reason why these U.S. companies have imposed a restriction on the communication with Huawei is unclear. But general sense suggests that it has been done as a precautionary measure to avoid any confrontation with the US government.
A refresh to your memories. The U. S. Department of Commerce put Huawei on a blacklist on 16th May this year, sparking off an unprecedented tech war among the world’s two largest economies. The move was against allegations that Huawei’s close links to the Chinese communist government have prompted it to leak crucial US data to China. The ban thus imposed, rendered it impossible for the Chinese company to do business with any of the U.S. companies without prior permission from the government.
With restrictions on interaction with Huawei, the future of 5G is blurred. 5G tech is being mulled as the driver of high speed connectivity around the world, despite it coming with its own dangers. 5G roll out is more crucial for the IoT industry, which has thus far remained limited in scope due to connectivity limitations arriving out of existing 4G tech.
Huawei is the world’s largest manufacturer of cellular components and devices, and its role is hence crucial. The meeting at 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) where industries are aiming to set specifications for 5G, did not go undocumented (as these meetings usually go); a direct consequence of the laws imposed by the U.S.
Engineers working for Huawei had been restrained, from participating in peer reviews of their papers, by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Companies imposing limits on interaction have declined to comment any further on this issue. It would be unusual if 5G rolls out without Huawei’s involvement. After all, Huawei is a world leader in that technology. The ban imposed by the U.S. doesn’t forbid communications with the company. So, the restriction put by a handful of tech firms appears unnecessary and exasperation of this ban.
