Huawei blacklisted – Swiss Telekom is not bothered by the US barrier – News

The subsidiary produces its own chips

By order of US President Donald Trump, according to which American companies can no longer do business with Chinese telecommunication equipment, Huawei will also meet with difficulty in the long run. Because HiSilicon, the subsidiary that designs the computer chips for Huawei devices, reports that it could increase the production of its own chips in case of emergency.

China is the world's largest producer of silicon, a raw material for chips. The country has invested heavily in the production of its own solid state chips and chips in recent years. Huawei itself is building new production centers outside of China, for example in India or Japan.

Replacing American products with their own was expressly only Plan B because, according to their own statements, the company placed great trust in its traditional Western suppliers. But Huawei needs less and less.

Huawei loses access to American universities

That's why Huawei is probably the one who is the most annoyed by the fact that you could lose access to startups and innovative universities in the United States.

But here too, the company has been looking for other options for some time. It establishes research centers not only in China, but also in Europe, India and several East Asian countries, and seeks proximity to local universities.

Switzerland can not be pushed by the USA

The wind would turn if Huawei was forced to leave the market under American pressure in all European countries and in Asia. Although each country has already done so, there is still little left.

But even in this case, it is not certain that the Federal Council will yield to the pressure and that Swisscom and Sunrise will not do business with Huawei. In any case, it is unclear whether the latest White House orders will be implemented in the near future. If the G20 summit of late June marks a relaxation of the trade dispute between the United States and China, the criticism against Huawei could suddenly be quieter.

Philip Meyer

Economic Editor, SRF

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Philip Meyer has been an economics editor for Radio SRF for the past five years, covering computer and telecommunications companies, as well as old and new media. He is also head of department in the newsroom of Radio SRF.