How Do Allies Tackle 5G When They Don’t See Eye to Eye?

A number of U.S. companies including Google, Intel, Qualcomm and others are limiting business with Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei after the White House issued an Executive Order last week aimed at tightening security on the supply chain for information and communications technology.  While the EO didn’t specifically call out Huawei, the message was clear enough:  the U.S. Government can block or set conditions on transactions that are linked to a ‘foreign adversary’ that it deems a risk to national security, critical infrastructure, or the ‘digital economy’.

It’s a point that was also made personally in London last week by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who warned that the U.S. wouldn’t react well to UK plans to work with Huawei as it builds its 5G network, even hinting that the U.S. may reconsider some areas of cooperation between the allies.