Huawei D.C. Lobbying Spending Soars

SHARE THIS ARTICLE

Huawei Technologies increased spending on Washington, D.C. lobbyists last quarter. It’s trying to avoid long-term damage. That’s because a U.S. ban on Huawei gear means it would be left out of projects associated with the billions Congress plans to spend on broadband infrastructure.

Huawei spent just over one million in the second quarter of 2021. That’s up from $180,000 in the first quarter this year, according to disclosures filed Tuesday. The company listed broadband and infrastructure bills as specific interests, as well as trade and a digital privacy measure, reported Bloomberg.  

President Joe Biden extended a 2019 executive order from his predecessor prohibiting U.S. companies from using telecommunications equipment made by firms deemed to pose a national security risk, including Huawei. That means the Chinese equipment maker would be left out of the $65 billion that Congress is negotiating to spend on expanding broadband access as part of a $579 billion bipartisan infrastructure plan.

Congress also appropriated about $1.9 billion last year to help remove and replace any network gear from Huawei, ZTE communications and other Chinese manufacturers currently in use. The FCC approved the program earlier this month, Inside Towers reported. According to Reuters, Huawei referred to the agency’s latest vote as “an unrealistic attempt to fix what isn’t broken.”

Huawei didn’t respond to a request for comment on its lobbying spending.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.