Facts not fears should decide Huawei’s future in Europe, say analysts

BARCELONA: Facts not fears should decide the future of telecoms network security in Europe, industry leaders and policy chiefs said this week, brushing off US calls for a ban on Chinese vendors.
Europe has become the main battleground in a US campaign to rid Western networks of Chinese telecoms equipment, with Washington accusing Huawei Technologies of spying for Beijing, allegations the company has repeatedly denied.
Mobile operators warn that a blanket ban could delay next-generation 5G connections by years and comments from the world’s second-largest mobile operator Vodafone and European Commission officials at this week’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona suggest a more cautious response is likely.