Huawei is one of the world’s biggest smartphone manufacturers but it doesn’t sell its smartphones through carriers in the United States. The country’s carriers have been reluctant to carry its devices and while AT&T recently announced its intention to sell the Huawei Mate 10, it decided to pull out of the deal last week. AT&T’s ties with Huawei go deeper than smartphone sales and according to a new report, lawmakers in the United States are pushing AT&T to cut all of them.
Huawei has long been viewed with suspicion in Washington over fears of its links with the Chinese government. Huawei has denied any links and reiterated its commitment to safety and privacy for its customers.
Reuters reports that lawmakers are urging AT&T to cut commercial ties with Huawei because of national security concerns. U.S. firms like AT&T and others have reportedly been advised that if they maintain ties with Huawei or China Mobile, it could dent their ability to conduct business with the U.S. government.
House members reportedly want AT&T to shelve its partnership with Huawei over standards for its 5G network. Even the use of Huawei handsets by AT&T’s Cricket subsidiary is believed to be not acceptable.
Huawei hasn’t commented on this report but it did point out to the scribe that it sells its equipment through more than 45 of the top 50 carriers in the world and views the privacy and security of its customers as a top priority.
Huawei went ahead and launched its flagship handsets in the U.S. with the help of online retailers. It seems unlikely that it’ll get any support from the carriers in this political climate.
Filed in . Read more about Huawei.