US to Stop Telcos From Using Equipment and Services Manufactured in China for 5G Networks?

The ban on Huawei looks like only the first step among many that the Trump administration is taking against Chinese companies over concerns of national security. According to a report on the Wall Street Journal, the US government is exploring ways to impose that 5G infrastructure and equipment used in the US be designed and manufactured outside China.

Government officials are looking into the possibility of telecom equipment manufacturers developing 5G networks’ hardware and software outside China networks for use in the US . The government is currently undertaking a 150-day review of proposed rules and regulations to make this possible.

This review is part of an executive order signed off by the US government which restricts foreign-manufactured networking equipment and services over possible cyberthreats. If these proposals kick in, leading telecom companies like Nokia and Ericsson will have to move their operations out of China to continue supplying telecom equipment and services to the US markets.

The White House had previously added Huawei to its Entity List, banning the Chinese tech company from doing business with American firms without special approvals from the government.