Again, US grants Huawei another 90-day ban reprieve

The US Department of Commerce earlier this year following an executive order from Trump added Huawei to its defacto Industry, and security entity list effectively banning the Chinese firm from having dealings with US firms. Huawei consequently lost access to the popular Google’s Android OS, as it got its  Android license revoked by the company.

The Commerce Department, however, soft-pedaled when it later granted US companies a temporary reprieve which allowed them to deal with the Chinese firm until August. Again the grace period was extended by another 90-day period which lapses today -November 18, and now, the Trump administration is again granting US firms another license extension to last for 90 more days.

This 90-day reprieve is the third in a row, and as pointed out by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross,  is to  “allow carriers to continue to service customers in some of the most remote areas of the United States who would otherwise be left in the dark.”

“The Department will continue to rigorously monitor sensitive technology exports to ensure that our innovations are not harnessed by those who would threaten our national security.”

With another 90-day reprieve, the Chinese firm will be able to continue pushing out important software and security updates to its range of devices released before the ban took effect until sometime in March 2020. Sadly, devices like the Huawei Mate X and the Mate 30 series will continue to run on an open-source version of the Android operating system. This is perhaps. the biggest slap on Huawei, as it has now resorted to shipping new smartphones without the popular Android OS. The brand now has on own Android alternative, though yet to find its way into any smartphone.

Huawei

Responding to the latest release from the Commerce Department, a Huawei spokesperson said in a statement that the 90-day reprieve would have no substantial impact on Huawei’s business, either way, further adding that  “the decision does not in any way change the fact that Huawei continues to be treated unfairly.”