TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Two of Taiwan’s major wireless carriers, Chunghwa Telecom (中華電信) and Taiwan Mobile (台灣大哥大), confirmed on Wednesday (May 22) they will not sell Huawei devices after stock sells out, reported Central News Agency.
The news comes as Google is set to quit supporting Huawei’s Android operating system. Chunghwa Telecom and Taiwan Mobile confirmed they will stop selling Huawei smartphones, while other wireless service providers will wait and see.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Commerce placed Huawei on its so-called “Entity List,” restricting U.S. firms from selling Huawei technology without government approval.
Google said it would continue to support existing Huawei smartphones but future devices wouldn’t have the company’s apps and services, such as maps, Gmail, YouTube, and Chrome. Only basic services would be available, making Huawei phones less attractive.
Chunghwa Telecom told CNA it would continue selling the Huawei phones it has in stock, until they are sold out. It will not sell newer models before all issues are settled.
Taiwan Mobile said it would not sell the latest Huawei phones, because they are not compatible with Google apps. It also called on the government to help clarify national security concerns surrounding Chinese manufactured smartphones.