Ripping Huawei out of US networks could be a nightmare for rural providers
Joe Franell is a fan of Huawei’s equipment. As the CEO of Eastern Oregon Telecom, he’s responsible for providing internet to about 4,000 customers, many in small communities or remote farmland. He’s been lucky: the Huawei equipment he uses has never failed, which he hasn’t been able to say about everything else in the company’s network. Plus, it’s affordable, both of which are reasons why he estimates the Oregon company uses about $500,000 worth of Huawei products.
Still, the uncertainty around Huawei has left him wondering what will happen next. Franell says Eastern Oregon Telecom stopped buying Huawei equipment about a year ago, as controversy heated up around the Chinese telecom giant. Since then, Huawei has faced a government...