Huawei’s Italy chief called on the government to deal with European and non-European 5G suppliers equally, as he revealed the company plans to invest more than €2 billion in the country, Reuters reported.
Last week, Italy’s government extended its “golden power” (legislation giving the state a say on deals involving strategic sectors), to include 5G infrastructure, requiring companies to flag for review equipment purchases from non-European vendors.
At an event in Milan, Huawei Italy CEO Thomas Miao urged the government to apply its power to “all players,” arguing “it is very important that 5G technology is neutral” and not subject to geopolitical disputes, Reuters stated.
He also pressed the government to speed-up its review process, noting approval for 5G deals can currently take up to 165 days.
The comments came as Miao announced Huawei plans to pump €2.75 billion worth of investments into Italy over the next three years, adding 1,000 direct and 2,000 indirect workers in the country.
Those jobs appeared to be an exchange for reductions in the US, where Miao confirmed Huawei will slash 1,000 jobs.
Though Miao did not specify where the US cuts would be made, The Wall Street Journal reported Huawei is preparing to lay off hundreds at its R&D arm, Futurewei Technologies. The subsidiary employs around 850 people across the states of Texas, California and Washington.
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