Huawei could gain access to Google services 'very shortly'

Huawei might find itself with access to Google apps and services again soon. That is, if Google is one of the American companies that will be issued a license by the United States government to conduct business with the technology giant.

According to U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, the permissions will be released “very shortly.”

Ross says the government received 260 requests, which he says were “more than we would’ve thought.” But he didn’t specify which firms applied for the licenses and how many will be granted permission. He cautions that companies shouldn’t assume that they will receive a permit, but he expects that “quite a few” will be approved.

Bloomberg’s interview with U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross

The ban has severely hit Huawei and Google’s business relationship. The former had to launch the Huawei Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro without the Google Play Store and other Google apps installed on them. Instead, the handsets are using Huawei Mobile Services, a first-party solution that has the basics covered.

That’s because even though American firms were given another three-month extension to work with Huawei in August, it was for the latter to be able to continue supporting existing devices. That meant only Huawei smartphones and tablets released before the Mate 30 series get Android updates to this date.

However, that temporary license will expire on November 19. And while third-quarter numbers indicate Huawei continued to defy the effects of the ban, a license that will grant its new products access to the licensed version of Android will be beneficial to both Google and Huawei.

Huawei and a dozen other Chinese companies were put on the U.S. Commerce Department’s entity list back in May, preventing American firms from working with them. Huawei, in particular, is being accused of espionage for the Chinese state, which it has repeatedly and vehemently denied.

What’s more likely now is that those that will receive permissions aren’t involved in telecom infrastructure. And we’re hoping Google is one of those that will be allowed to conduct business with Huawei again.

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Nicole Batac

Contributor: Nicole Batac spent the last 10 years as a consumer tech and lifestyle journalist and editor for print publications like Speed Magazine and 2nd Opinion Magazine and has had her work appear in other local publications. She now braves the world of freelance writing. In her free time, she obsessively listens to music, binge-watches shows on Netflix, eats well, and sleeps in.