U.S. looking at domestic 5G equipment to be made outside China

According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the US administration is looking to require next-generation 5G cellular equipment used in the United States to be designed and manufactured outside China.

Following the 150-day review that began after cybersecurity concerns in the United States were first raised, US officials are said to be asking telecom equipment makers if they can develop U.S.- bound hardware including cellular-tower electronics as well as routers and switches, and software outside of China.

It’s been a turbulent few months in terms of US and Chinese relations following the US administration's decision to take aim at China’s Huawei by banning the firm from buying vital U.S. technology without special approval, so in effect barring its equipment from U.S. telecom networks on national security grounds.

It should be noted that any executive order, should it be ordered, will likely only call for a list of proposed rules and regulations by the 150-day deadline, in October, so any decision is likely to take years to adopt.