Huawei, ZTE Customers in the U.S. Contemplate Life Without Them
- White House reported to mull restrictions on Chinese equipment
- Smaller U.S. telecom carriers scramble to find alternatives
A P20 Pro smartphone, manufactured by Huawei Technologies Co.
Photographer: Marlene Awaad/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
As the U.S. government mulls further restrictions on the activities of Chinese telecom-equipment makers Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. and ZTE Corp., many small carriers dependent on these vendors for low-cost gear have found themselves in limbo.
Companies that bought network equipment as well as handsets from the Chinese firms may experience disruptions -- some may have to rip out existing network gear, while others could confront shortages of cheap phones they sell in their stores, potentially turning away some price-sensitive customers.