Huawei in US firing line

Huawei Australia has responded to calls by a group of US lawmakers for an investigation into the Chinese company’s dealings with Iran, rejecting accusations it is aiding the rogue state's censorship of civilians.

According to a report last week in the Wall Street Journal, six lawmakers have urged the US State Department to investigate whether Huawei’s relationship with Iran’s state-owned telcos had breached US sanctions. At issue is whether equipment supplied by Huawei had been used to “restrict the speech of the Iranian people and the free flow of unbiased information in Iran”.

The company slammed the report, calling it “grossly misrepresentative” and based on “groundless allegations”. 

Huawei told CRN it aimed to be in strict compliance with all relevant international and local laws and regulations, and that it does not provide any services relating to monitoring or filtering technologies and equipment anywhere in the world.

In Australia Huawei has enjoyed stellar growth over the past 12 months, a year which saw it significantly boost its local staff numbers, launch an enterprise division and partner program, and take on Cisco and Polycom with a rival telepresence solution. The company benefited from a growing enterprise business unit and several significant private sector contracts with the likes of Vodafone, Optus and AARNet.

The company is currently attempting to expand its operations in the US, a historically difficult manoeuvre thanks in part to Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei’s links to China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The company has been denied contracts around the world through the perceived links which it has continuously denied. 

Last December Huawei chose to voluntarily restrict its business in Iran and said it would not seek new customers. Huawei’s remaining Iranian business involves managed services in the form of a mobile news platform for MTN Irancell, as well as operations through non-exclusive Huawei commercial telecom solutions reseller Zaeim Electronic Industries. 

Huawei has a number of high profile and influential individuals sitting on its board in Australia including former Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer as well as former Victorian state premier John Brumby.