You guys seem to be ready to let Huawei off the hook, and I think I know why

Huawei is not what it used to be: thanks to the heavy sanctions the US imposed on the tech behemoth in 2019, people in the west just turned back to the good old Samsung and Apple en masse.

That being said, Huawei isn't dead. The company thrives in Asia and is still seen as a viable option for tech-savvy individuals across the West.

This still causes nightmares for some US officials, and I can't even imagine the rage if (and when) Huawei catches up on the chipset front. True, the company is barred from obtaining EUV (extreme-ultraviolet) machines, but they're currently pushing toward the super advanced 2nm realm.

Now, it seems that it's the EU's turn to go toe to toe with Huawei.

High emotions on the Old World

As we've reported, the European Commission is moving toward a formal EU-wide ban on Huawei and ZTE from Europe's telecom networks. This would apply only to infrastructure equipment, not smartphones. The shift would turn the EU's earlier guidance on avoiding “high-risk” vendors into enforceable law, requiring all 27 member states to remove Chinese gear from their 5G and broadband networks or face consequences.

EU officials argue the ban is needed to protect network security and reduce dependence on Chinese technology, following a path similar to US restrictions that began in 2019. Huawei disputes the reasoning, of course. The company warned that removing its equipment could drive up costs and delay Europe's 5G rollout.

Telcos aren't happy

Timotheus Hottges is CEO of Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile's parent company. Some days ago, he pushed back against the idea of removing Huawei's non-core gear, such as antennas. He argued that these parts don't pose a security risk because the company's core network is already built without Chinese technology. According to him, forcing operators to replace this equipment would be both needless and expensive.

You're ready to give Huawei the green light

I recently conducted a poll among you, and these are the results:



Almost 68%, or over a third of everybody, said that Huawei tech shouldn't be forced out of Europe's networks. Under 24% said that Huawei should be avoided at all costs, even if that means higher bills or delayed 5G and 6G rollout.

If I was to take a guess as to why that's the case, I'd say that it's that you people aren't that crazy about Huawei in the first place. Instead, I think you're ready to let Huawei off the hook because of two reasons: and the first one has got to do with money. Chinese tech is often way more affordable than that of its Western counterparts.

What's more – and this is a bit cynical – companies across the West don't strike as particularly "safe", too. There have been numerous data breaches and privacy accidents in recent years.

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