Emma Okonji
Huawei, a technology company, said it defied increasing US scrutiny and bans on its equipment in some countries, when it recorded higher than forecasted revenue growth in the first two months of the year.
Huawei founder and CEO, Ren Zhengfei, who disclosed the information during a recent speech in Moscow that sales in January and February increased 35.8 per cent from the same period in 2018, noted that the strong growth “is a testimony of everyone’s efforts. The company is more united and not afraid of difficulties.”
The speech was published in the company’s internal forum and shared with Mobile World Live.
The company’s revenue in 2018 increased 21 per cent year-on-year to $108.5 billion and is forecast to rise 15 per cent in 2019, which would be the same rate as in 2017.
A month ago Huawei said it had signed more than 30 5G contracts and shipped more than 40,000 compatible base stations. A representative said there was no update on those figures.
Huawei recently stepped up its efforts in the US to fight bans on its equipment. Last week, it filed a motion for the Federal Communications Commission to drop a proposed rule, which would block operators from using government funds to buy its equipment. Earlier in the month the company filed a lawsuit in a US federal court, challenging a ban on government agencies using its gear and seeking a permanent injunction against the restriction.
In a similar development, a court in Germany has dismissed complaints from Vodafone Germany, Deutsche Telekom and Telefonica Deutschland about the country’s 5G auction terms, clearing the way for the sale to begin.
All three operators had contested the conditions attached to the acquisition of licences for 5G frequencies, with Vodafone and Telefonica subsequently seeking to delay the auction through emergency applications.
However, a court hearing in Cologne, Germany, dismissed both operators’ concerns and applications to stall the procedure.
A bid by Freenet, an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to increase obligations placed on mobile operators was also turned down.
