According to a report, the US Department of Commerce is getting ready to agree to a new rule that would allow US companies to work with Huawei on setting standards for 5G networks.
This rule wouldn’t mean that Huawei can work with Google on Android. But it would allow other companies to work with Huawei, specifically with Huawei’s networking arm. Which is the company’s most valuable division.
The US realized that it can’t lead in 5G without Huawei
After the Commerce department put Huawei on the blacklist nearly a year ago – forbidding them from working with US firms – it put the US at a major disadvantage.
This is because in standards setting meetings, Huawei gained a stronger voice, as US engineers were forced to sit back in silence. These are the meetings where protocols and technical specifications are developed.
With Huawei on the blacklist, many US companies had to sit back in silence because they were unsure what information and technology they could share with Huawei. Let’s not forget that Huawei is the world’s largest telecommunications equipment maker. So this is no small player. But a big company that can really drive the future of 5G.
The rule still needs to go to other departments for approval
The tech industry has sat in a year of uncertainty after putting Huawei on this blacklist. As no one really knew what could be done with Huawei.
The draft of this new rule is under final review inside the Commerce department about Huawei 5G. After that, it will be heading over to other agencies for approval. This could take days or weeks, or even months.
This is something that should have been clarified from the get-go. Instead of waiting nearly a year to get something in writing for these companies.
As Naomi Wilson, senior director of policy for Asia at the Information Technology Industry Council stated, “their policies have inadvertently caused US companies to lose their seat at the table to Huawei and others on the entity list.”
Which is completely true. In a move that could have caused Huawei to become a lesser threat to the US, President Trump inadvertently made the company stronger than ever. As it was the only company to actually ship more phones last quarter, even amid the pandemic. Which is a pretty amazing feat in itself. But to do so with phones that don’t have Google services, and products that can’t be sold in the US, is even more amazing.