Huawei: FCC moves to block firm from 5G networks in the United States
CNNHong Kong CNN Business — The US Federal Communications Commission wants to place more restrictions on Huawei and ZTE by barring companies that receive government money from purchasing equipment or services from the Chinese tech firms. If a 5G network with Huawei equipment were operating near a US military installation or other sensitive location, “Beijing could demand the installation of a‘back door’ to allow secret access to the network, insert malware or viruses, and receive all kinds of information — without Americans ever knowing,” Pai added. But dozens of small, rural US networks currently use Huawei and ZTE equipment, which Pai said “poses an unacceptable risk.” He said the FCC will also next month consider a proposal to remove and replace such equipment. On Tuesday, a Huawei spokesperson said in a statement that “banning specific vendors based on country origin will do nothing to protect America’s telecommunications networks.” The FCC’s proposal will only hurt under-served rural US areas and “further widen the digital divide; slowing the pace of economic development,” the spokesperson said, adding that the company remains open to talking with the US government and policy makers. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the FCC move “economic bullying.” “We firmly oppose the US abusing national power to target certain Chinese companies with trumped-up charges in the absence of evidence,” ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regularly scheduled press conference on Tuesday.