actions against Huawei by US could delay global 5G rollout

[techy]

Sure, putting Huawei on the Commerce Department's Entity List is designed to punish Huawei (some would point out that it also hurts U.S. companies like Google, Qualcomm, Intel, Synopsys and Cadence Design Systems), but it also has an effect on the global rollout of 5G. Let's first take a step back. The next generation of wireless connectivity offers download dataspeeds up to ten times faster than 4G LTE. And once 5G becomes available everywhere, we will see things like driverless cars and new inventions that we can't even conceive of right now. And Huawei, as the world's top supplier of networking gear, is heavily involved in the global rollout of 5G.


But the ban on Huawei could slow down the process of making 5G available throughout the world. According to Reuters, several companies are not allowing their employees to have conversations with Huawei employees to discuss topics like technical standards for 5G. Firms like Intel, Qualcomm, and even South Korean carrier LG Uplus are not taking part in talks that are important to help in the development and buildout of 5G on a global basis. The Trump administration gave Huawei a limited three-month reprieve from the ban that prevents it from obtaining U.S. parts and software; the exemption ends in August and allows U.S. companies to talk with Huawei "as necessary for the development of 5G standards." But U.S. firms are not forced to engage in these conversations with Huawei. And many American firms continue to refrain from having any discussions with the beleaguered Chinese manufacturer; while the government says it is okay for now, these companies still fear getting called out and punished by the Trump administration.