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According to a report by Reuters AT&T’s decision to not sell the Huawei Mate 10 Pro, currently one of the best camera smartphones, in the US might have been made under pressure from the US Congress.
According to the report, lawmakers did pressure the communications company to drop its plans to offer Huawei’s devices to customers. AT&T is also being urged by Senators and House members to put an end to its collaboration with the Chinese manufacturer on standards for its 5G network.
The report claims that companies are being told that doing business with Huawei, China Mobile and other Chinese companies could reduce the chances of procuring government contracts. “The next wave of wireless communication has enormous economic and national security implications,” said Michael Wessel of a US-Chain security review commission. “China’s participation in setting the standards and selling the equipment raises many national security issues that demand strict and prompt attention.”
In addition, Congress has proposed a bill that would prevent any government agencies from working with the Chinese company. The proposal says that, according to US intelligence information, Huawei has shared sensitive information with the Chinese government, and that Chinese security agencies can make use of Huawei equipment to spy on US businesses.
As one would expect, Huawei insists that its technology does not come with any built-in tools for access to US communications infrastructure. The company also told Reuters that its equipment is used by 45 of the world’s top 50 carriers, for all of whom security is a priority.
The good news is that If you are based in the US and did like the Mate 10 Pro’s camera performance in our full review, you’ll still be able to purchase the device, just not through a carrier. Instead you can buy the unlocked version on Amazon, Best Buy and other retailers.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)