Despite worries about espionage, Huawei wins three more U.K. contracts for LTE build outs

Back in October 2012, Huawei was rumored to be conducting espionage for the Chinese government. While this didn't have any affect on the manufacturer's handset business, it did hurt the company's network infrastructure operations in the U.S. and Europe. Despite this concern, Huawei did manage to recently snag three contracts in the U.K. to help build out LTE operations in the region.

Batelco, a carrier based in Bahrain, signed a deal with the Chinese manufacturer for its SURE subsidiary in Guernsey, Jersey, and Isle of Man. Huawei will supply LTE base stations and help integrate the LTE pipeline in the three locations, with the operator's GSM/HSPA network.

The three contracts signed with Batelco comes as the U.K. government has started to look hard at certain equipment provided by the company. The Home Office, Ministry for Justice, and Crown Prosecution Service, each recently pulled Huawei's video-conferencing equipment out of use, fearing that it allowed the Chinese government to spy on meetings.

Despite these fears, Batelco's Chairman, Shaikh Hamad bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, feels confident that Huawei will be able to provide it with "cutting edge communications solutions" supporting 4G service for SURE subscribers in the three areas.


source: Batelco via FierceWireless