Is U.S. security concerns on Huawei’s 5G political in nature?

World
Europe

02:13

Huawei is a telecom giant which promises to transform lives through technological advancements. And it is considered a global leader in the latest 5G technology. This has prompted the U.S. and a few other countries to view Huawei's expertise as a security concern.

In the mobile phone arena, Huawei is currently the largest Chinese vendor by volume and the No. 2 worldwide by sales, just behind Samsung. They produce some of the most advanced chips in the world, including mobile phone and AI processors.

But the jewels in the Huawei crown it seems, is the company's pre-eminence in the 5G technology.

Last month, the company launched the world's first core chip specifically designed for 5G base stations.

Huawei says the chipset, called Tiangang, will support simplified 5G networks and large-scale network deployment around the world.

It's also launched its first 5G Modem known as Balong 5000, which it claims is the most powerful modem in the world.

As some U.S. allies try to block Huawei's rise, the company has secured over 30 commercial 5G contracts across the world, shipping over 25,000 5G base stations globally.

To name a few, it has been invited by India to conduct 5G trials, South Korean telecom company LG Uplus is using Huawei equipment to set up 5G networks. In Europe, apart from the UK and Germany, Italy has also welcomed Huawei's presence. Despite a public warning from the U.S., Hungary says it has no plans to reconsider its decision to allow Huawei in the country.

But the U.S. believes that Huawei poses a security threat, a charge which many experts say is not supported by evidence.

They think the U.S. is actually worried about a Chinese company's pole position in 5G as American companies play catch-up. But Huawei says its ultimate goal is to use the smartphone as a hub to build an intelligent digital environment for home, providing solutions ranging from smartphones and personal computers to TV and smart speakers.

According to tech experts, 5G is an indispensable ingredient to develop the technology of the future. So a blocking campaign is bound to fail.