14 DAY TRIAL // The United States government is very committed to keeping Chinese tech giant out of its 5G network, so in an effort to build an alternative that would work in the long term, it has recently reached to local technology companies for assistance.
Microsoft, Dell, and AT&T are three of the names involved in the project, according to a report from the WSJ, with others likely to be added as the work on the 5G alternative advances.
What the government hopes to achieve is a common engineering standard, with Microsoft and its partners to build 5G software essentially allowing the use of hardware from any manufacturer. So technically, the US authorities want to keep Huawei out of its 5G network, and it hopes other states would do the same once this project is finalized.
The United States will begin insisting for allies to embrace its alternative to Huawei, despite some countries already using 5G infrastructure developed by the Chinese company.
The Huawei ban
Huawei, on the other hand, says the government should reach out to them to discuss 5G tech licenses, as otherwise the United States would have to wait up to 2 years before reaching the same performance as the products that it developed.
“If the U.S. wants 5G hardware and software developed by a U.S. or European company, the government should encourage companies to begin negotiations with Huawei to license our 5G technology. The combined product will be 1-2 years behind the comparable Huawei products in terms of functionality and assurance,” Andy Purdy, Huawei’s chief U.S. security officer.
The United States banned Huawei from using products developed by American companies last May, flagging the company as a national security risks due to what local officials describe as links with the Chinese government.
In the meantime, however, Huawei has been working closely with other governments across the world for the adoption of 5G equipment, despite the United States pressuring its allies to avoid signing a collaboration with the Chinese firm.