Huawei gets boost as China issues 5G licenses
The licensees include three state-owned carriers and a state-owned broadcaster.
China's 5G push will help Huawei.
China approved 5G licenses for a quartet of state-owned bodies on Thursday, winning investment in vendors like Huawei, a report said.
Carriers China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom, as well as broadcaster China Broadcasting Network Corporation, got the licenses, according to Reuters.
The carriers were given trial licenses at the end of 2018, but Thursday's announcement lets them begin commercial deployment before the original 2020 timeline. It'll trigger early investment in Huawei and other vendors too, the news gathering service noted.
It follows Huawei signing a deal to help develop Russia's 5G network and comes in the wake of President Donald Trump signed an executive order effectively banning the Chine phone maker from US communications networks, based on national security concerns over Huawei's links with the Chinese government. The US is also urging its allies not to do business with Huawei.
The company has consistently denied such ties, and its chairman said this week the company is willing to sign a "no-spy agreement" with the US.
Huawei didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
First published at 5:24 a.m. PT.
Updated at 6:40 a.m. PT: Adds more detail.
