GSMA May Hold Crisis Meeting Over Huawei

Mobile communications industry body GSMA has proposed its members discuss the possibility that Chinese network vendor Huawei is excluded from key markets, amid concerns such a development could set operators back by years.

The European Commission is weighing a de facto ban on Huawei‘s 5G network equipment for next-generation mobile networks in the European Union due to security concerns, sources in Brussels have told Reuters.

GSMA Director General Mats Granryd has written to members proposing to put the debate around Huawei onto the agenda of its next board meeting, a spokesman for the federation said.

“It is to be confirmed for now,” he said.

Some Western countries, including the United States and Australia, have restricted Huawei from building next-generation mobile networks, citing concerns that its equipment may contain ‘backdoors’ opening it up to cyber-espionage.

Western governments are also concerned that China’s National Intelligence Law requires its companies and people to collaborate in espionage efforts.

Huawei, the global market leader with annual sales of more than USD 100 billion, denies the existence of any backdoors. The company and its founder Ren Zhengfei have repeatedly denied they would spy for China.

Many operators rely on Huawei to build out 5G networks, and a de-facto ban would be a considerable setback for Europe’s efforts to stay competitive in communications, with implications for connected factories, self-driving cars and medical technology.―Computer World