Huawei Rolling in 5G Contracts from Dozens of Commercial Firms in 30 Countries

June 10, 2019 (EIRNS)—To all appearances, China will have the last laugh at the United States’ attempt to limit Huawei’s customer base. The Press Trust of India (PTI) reports that Huawei has obtained 46 commercial 5G contracts, so far, in 30 countries, and has shipped more than 100,000 5G contracts globally, according to a statement the company issued on June 6.

China has emerged as a top player in the race for setting up the super-fast telecommunications system, despite the U.S. ban on its 5G services, alleging that Huawei systems could be manipulated by the Chinese government to spy on other countries and disrupt critical communications.

The Financial Times of June 9 carries a very frank report that the major Ibero-American nations are going ahead with 5G wireless technology, despite U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross’s having essentially tried to order Mexico not to do so. “Brazil is leading the resistance,” writes the FT, and quotes Vice President Hamilton Mourão, saying, “Huawei is established in Brazil and will make more investments.” Chile’s President Sebastián Piñera told Huawei chairman Liang Hua met in Shenzhen, where the company is headquartered, “Huawei is welcome to participate in public tenders in Chile,” for 5G and fiber optic cable projects.

According to Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s chief of staff Alfonso Romo, Ross instructed them: “We don’t want very active participation of Chinese investment in Mexico, especially not in strategic projects.” But the FT then quotes Ricardo Salinas, “a media mogul close to” López Obrador, as saying: “I have nothing but good things to say about Huawei. I think it’s a disgrace what these Americans are doing to put them down.” Telecom networks in Mexico are “deeply dependent” on Huawei equipment and technology, reports FT, citing Ernesto Piedras, CEO of Competitive Intelligence Unit consultancy that even “AT&T in Mexico has Chinese DNA,” which six years ago got into the Mexican market by purchasing local networks, which were “totally Huawei.”

FT cites analysts who, in the words of the City of London daily, consider “there is no U.S. supplier able to compete with them [Huawei] in Latin America.”

In short, opines FT, “The Trump Administration’s efforts appear to have come to nothing—at least for now.”