BERLIN — Chinese telecom giant Huawei on Wednesday won a contract to supply 5G infrastructure in Germany but the politically sensitive deal is subject to government approval following US concerns about snooping.
Telefonica Germany, the second biggest operator after Deutsche Telekom, said it was giving Huawei and Finland's Nokia an equal role in the project, calling the 2 companies "proven strategic partners".
"This cooperation... will be subject to successful security certification of the technology and the companies in accordance with the legal regulations in Germany," Telefonica Germany said in a statement.
The company, a unit of Spanish giant Telefonica, said it was "thus responding to the ongoing political process of defining these security guidelines without delaying the start of the 5G roll-out".
It said it would begin the 5G upgrade next year and was hoping to supply 30 cities by the end of 2022.
The US and other international powers have voiced concerns that Huawei could be used by Beijing for spying -- a claim the company strenuously denies.
Germany has so far defied pressure to exclude Huawei from taking part in the bidding process, insisting that it would set stringent security conditions.
But critics have accused Berlin of trying to appease China, its largest trading partner, and putting economic interests first.
Last month, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier sparked US anger by drawing a parallel between alleged Chinese and US snooping as part of the debate.
Altmaier referred to the allegations that began emerging in 2013 of US spying on German soil.
Even so, he said: "We didn't boycott them".
Altmaier also pointed out that the US required its own telecoms companies to provide information "that is necessary in the fight against terrorism".
US Ambassador Richard Grenell said there was "no moral equivalency between China and the United States".
Agence France-Presse
LONDON - British Prime Minister Theresa May has reportedly approved a limited role for China's Huawei to help build a 5G network in the UK, shrugging off security warnings from senior ministers and Washington surrounding the telecoms giant, media said Wednesday.
Britain's National Security Council, which is chaired by May, agreed Tuesday to allow the Chinese technology giant limited access to build "non-core" infrastructure such as antennas, The Daily Telegraph newspaper wrote.
The Financial Times, citing those close to the meeting, added that the Chinese company had been banned from more sensitive "core" parts of the project.
The Times newspaper meanwhile was more cautious, stating that May was "considering giving limited approval".
Her reported moves come despite concerns raised by Home Secretary Sajid Javid, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox and International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt.
May's Downing Street office declined to comment on the story.
However, Digital Minister Margot James dismissed the media speculation.
"In spite of cabinet leaks to the contrary, final decision yet to be made on managing threats to telecoms infrastructure," she tweeted.
She later told Sky News that while a final decision had not been made, James indicated that a security review had concluded.
"The decision has not been finally made yet and the Prime Minister will take advice form all of the relevant agencies and departments," James added.
Huawei itself welcomed the report.
"Huawei welcomes reports that the UK government is moving towards allowing Huawei to help build the UK's 5G network," it said in a brief statement.
"This green light means that UK businesses and consumers will have access to the fastest and most reliable networks thanks to Huawei's cutting edge technology.
"While we await a formal government announcement, we are pleased that the UK is continuing to take an evidence-based approach to its work and we will continue work cooperatively with the government, and the industry," the Chinese company added.
Britain's move would be at odds with the United States, which has banned Huawei's 5G technology from its territory and urged allies in the so-called Five Eyes intelligence sharing collective -- comprising also Australia, Britain, Canada and New Zealand -- to follow suit.
Huawei is the leading manufacturer of equipment for next-generation 5G mobile networks with almost instantaneous data transfer that will become the nervous system of Europe's economy, in strategic sectors like energy, transport, banking and health care.
SPYING FEARS
The technology titan faces pushback in some Western markets over fears Beijing could spy on communications and gain access to critical infrastructure.
Last month, Britain identified "significant technological issues" in Huawei's engineering processes that pose "new risks" for the nation's telecommunications, according to a government report.
"Further significant technical issues have been identified in Huawei's engineering processes, leading to new risks in the UK telecommunications networks," read annual findings from the Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre oversight board.
The board -- which includes officials from Britain's GCHQ cybersecurity agency as well as a senior Huawei executive and representatives from the UK telecommunications sector -- added it could provide only limited assurance that risks posed by the Chinese tech giant to UK national security would be "sufficiently mitigated long-term".
Shrugging off the widespread concerns, Egypt on Sunday said Huawei would roll out a 5G phone network there for the first time during the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations football tournament.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
SAN FRANCISCO, United States - Apple Inc. and Qualcomm Inc. on Tuesday settled an acrimonious two-year legal dispute. Shortly afterward, Intel Corp said it would exit the smartphone modem chip business.
The entire drama played out as the mobile phone industry prepares to shift to a technology called 5G.
Echoing complaints from the US Federal Trade Commission, Apple had alleged that Qualcomm used its patent licensing business to keep a monopoly on modem chips that connect devices like the iPhone to wireless data networks. Qualcomm insisted that Apple was using its valuable technology with proper payment, and Apple later dropped Qualcomm's chips in favor of those from Intel.
In the end, Apple and Qualcomm ceased all litigation, with Apple signing a six-year licensing deal with Qualcomm and also agreeing to buy Qualcomm chips. Hours later, Intel said it was getting out of the modem chip business.
WHAT IS 5G?
5G is a new network technology for wireless communications that could be up to 100 times faster than current 4G networks. The networks are coming on line in the United States, China, South Korea and other places this year, but probably will not be widespread until 2020. Modem chips connect devices like phones to these networks.
WHO ARE THE PLAYERS IN 5G?
Prior to Tuesday, 5 companies had disclosed 5G modem chips or plans to make them: Qualcomm, Intel, MediaTek Inc. , Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. Samsung and Huawei, however, only make chips for their own mobile phones.
WHY DOES APPLE CARE ABOUT 5G?
Some of Apple's rivals in the smartphone market - notably Samsung - plan to release 5G devices this year, which could put pressure on Apple to match the feature. Many carriers that are investing heavily to build 5G networks are also likely to put their marketing efforts behind 5G phones.
WILL APPLE HAVE A 5G PHONE THIS YEAR?
It would require an extraordinary effort from both companies. New modems take months of testing to ensure phones will work on carrier networks. Under traditional time lines, Apple would have needed to start testing a 5G iPhone last year, but its supplier Intel did not have a chip ready.
WILL APPLE LOSE MARKET SHARE WITHOUT A 5G PHONE?
Apple was slow to 4G too and did not pay a price. Samsung and others released 4G phones in 2011 as the networks were rolling out. Apple waited until 2012, when 4G networks become widely accessible. Many analysts believe Apple is making the same bet with 5G.
WHY DOES APPLE NEED QUALCOMM'S CHIPS?
Apple's only current modem supplier, Intel, said that it would not have a 5G chip ready until 2020, which could have pushed Apple's launch of a 5G iPhone into 2021 - a long enough delay that it could hurt sales. Qualcomm, on the other hand, is preparing to ship its second generation 5G chip and can meet Apple's needs with its current products.
WILL APPLE EXCLUSIVELY USE QUALCOMM'S CHIPS?
Not necessarily. While Apple and Qualcomm signed a supply agreement, Apple is working on developing its own modems and disclosed in court earlier this year that it has held talks with MediaTek and Samsung around modems.
WHY DID INTEL SHARE RISE AFTER IT EXITED THE MODEM BUSINESS?
Intel Chief Executive Bob Swan has told investors in the past that modem chips are not likely to fetch the same high margins as its CPU chips. Intel has plenty of other ways to make money from 5G, like selling CPUs to makers of base stations and so-called programmable chips to makers of networking gear.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
