Huawei has earned another reprieve from the US government, enabling it to engage in limited business activities with certain American companies.
The US Department of Commerce has branded a Temporary General License the next 90 days that allow for “specific, limited engagements in transactions.”
“The Temporary General License extension will allow carriers to continue to service customers in some of the most remote areas of the United States who would otherwise be left in the dark,” said US secretary of commerce Wilbur Ross.
However, this isn’t the good news Huawei and Android fans were waiting for. The licence only applies to those companies that rely on Huawei to conduct their business, such as the aforementioned rural mobile and broadband providers.
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It doesn’t appear to apply to the company’s efforts to regain access to the Google Mobile Services for use on its Android-powered smartphones and tablets. The absence of which restricts Huawei from including the likes of the Google Play Store and core Google apps like YouTube, Google Chrome, Maps and Gmail.
It means phones like the Huawei P30 range and the new foldable Mate X arrive without access to those apps and services, potentially lessening their value to consumers who rely on them.
In a statement, Huawei said: “Extending the Temporary General License won’t have a substantial impact on Huawei’s business either way. This decision does not change the fact that Huawei continues to be treated unfairly.”
This is the third time Huawei has had its license temporarily license renewed, after the Trump administration brought down a ban on American firms dealing with the company. The US alleges that the company commits espionage on behalf of the Chinese government, which the company strenuously denies.
The US is yet to provide any direct evidence Huawei has been up to anything it shouldn’t have been. Many suggest the company is being used as a pawn in the continuing trade dispute with the United States and China.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
