Huawei await 5G call before deciding on Raiders sponsorship
Missing out on Australia's 5G network would have a substantial effect on Huawei's business Down Under, but they will await the Australian government's final decision before deciding how it could affect their Canberra Raiders sponsorship.
Huawei corporate affairs director Jeremy Mitchell said their focus was on working with the Raiders on their new centre of excellence at Braddon, where they'll provide telecommunications technology.
Fairfax Media reported the Chinese telco giant was set to be excluded from providing equipment for the 5G network due to security concerns.
Mr Mitchell said Malcolm Turnbull's government was yet to make a final decision and they were still hopeful of being involved.
But he admitted missing out would be a big blow to their business in Australia and they would need to reassess any sponsorships going forward.
Huawei are not only major sponsors of the Green Machine, but also sponsor AFL club Gold Coast Suns and New Zealand A-League team Wellington Phoenix.
"At the moment the government haven't made any decision on 5G, so we're continuing as business as usual," Mr Mitchell told Fairfax Media on Thursday.
"If we were to not participate in the 5G that would have quite a large and substantial effect on our business, seeing as 70 per cent of our business is in the wireless network area so obviously that would have quite a large flow on to our business.
"We would have to wait and see the final details and the full impact on our business, but we're hopeful it won't get to that."
Huawei will become the Raiders' longest serving major sponsor when their current deal runs out at the end of 2019, having signed on in 2012.
Mitchell said talks were yet to start on extending the current deal. Raiders chief executive Don Furner declined to comment.
"We're only halfway through the three-year contract that we signed," Mr Mitchell said.
"We've been talking to the Raiders about their new facility and we look forward to putting in some high-tech, world-leading technology from Huawei to their performance centre, which will hopefully ensure they're the best team possible."