Commerce Dept. changes rule to allow U.S. companies to work with Huawei in setting standards
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross has announced a new rule designed to enable employees of U.S. companies to collaborate with their Huawei peers in standards setting activities. The move, made necessary by Huawei’s current position on the Department’s Entity List, is designed to promote the standardization of U.S. technologies, Secretary Ross said.
Huawei’s placement on the Entity List severely limits the interaction U.S. companies and their employees can have with the Chinese communications technology developer (see “Huawei faces U.S. technology access ban”). The new rule obviates the requirement for employees of U.S. companies working in standards-setting to acquire a special export license to disclose to Huawei technology that would not have required a license before the company’s placement on the Entity List. The rule change promotes U.S. national security and foreign policy interests by “facilitating U.S. leadership in standards-development bodies,” according to the Department.
“The United States will not cede leadership in global innovation. This action recognizes the importance of harnessing American ingenuity to advance and protect our economic and national security,” said Secretary Ross. “The Department is committed to protecting U.S. national security and foreign policy interests by encouraging U.S. industry to fully engage and advocate for U.S. technologies to become international standards.”
The Department emphasized that the new rule only applies to standards-making activities. Commercial applications of such technology remain subject to Export Administration Regulations.
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Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave
Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.
Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.
He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.
You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.