Chinese equipment vendor Huawei is bidding on a tender to provide infrastructure to US mobile operator Sprint Nextel, according to sources cited by the Financial Times.
If it is successful in its bid to help the US group expand its wireless broadband…
Chinese equipment vendor Huawei is bidding on a tender to provide infrastructure to US mobile operator Sprint Nextel, according to sources cited by the Financial Times.
If it is successful in its bid to help the US group expand its wireless broadband network, Huawei would need approval from the US government. The George W Bush administration nixed the Chinese company’s efforts a few years ago to bid jointly with Bain on technology group 3Com because of security concerns.
Since then, the Huawei has hired consultants including John Bellinger, who served as a national security adviser in the Bush government, as a means to creating links with Washington.
Sources quoted by the FT suggested that in order to demonstrate transparency and win friends in the US, Huawei may have to list in the US or Hong Kong, reshuffle its management or start an independent US-based company.
These moves could bear further fruit in the US for Huawei, which has long been considered a potential buyer of Motorola’s mobile network infrastructure business. Motorola has said it is open to a sale of, or JV with, the business, which this month was demerged from its parent. It is also regularly mentioned as an acquirer of US spectrum rights owned by hedge fund Harbinger, while it may also want to consider building a 4G network in the country.
