Bangkok--12 Feb--Francom Asia
The company's founder explains why its 5G equipment would be a perfect fit for European countries
Huawei Technologies recently announced that 'Made in Europe' 5G will soon be available as the company plans to set up new manufacturing bases in Europe. During the Lunar New Year reception in Brussels, Mr. Abraham Liu, Huawei Chief Representative to the EU Institutions, revealed that Huawei already has candidate cities in mind. The future factories, under European rules and regulations, will produce European-made 5G for Europe.
Huawei's announcement followed a move by the European Commission to rule out a blanket ban on the Chinese tech giant, despite the months-long pressure by the US administration. Instead, the Commission suggested for each country to make its own decisions regarding security and network infrastructure.
The UK last week announced it would allow Huawei to take part in the development of its 5G networks. During an interview with the BBC, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that "the British public deserves access to the best possible technology." Analysts said that top UK operators already rely on the Shenzhen-based tech major for the current 4G infrastructure. Barring it would mean replacing the already-installed Huawei 4G equipment, at great cost.
Huawei's founder, Mr. Ren Zhengfei, has expressed confidence in the European market. Last November, he predicted that European countries would definitely choose Huawei. "I think the choice made by our customers will drown out the voices of the US government, though they are very loud," the founder told CNN. Huawei's 5G equipment, Ren explained, is very advanced in terms of energy consumption, bandwidth, and especially size and weight. "Many houses in Europe are old. If the equipment is too heavy, the houses won't be able to bear the weight," said Mr. Ren. "Our equipment has excellent features and is lightweight, making it perfect for Europe," he added.
Currently, Huawei employs over 12,000 employees and runs 2 regional offices and 23 research & development centers in 14 European countries. The company last year revealed it has secured more than 50 commercial 5G contracts worldwide, 28 of which are with European operators.