The White House is considering an executive order that would ban American wireless carriers from buying equipment from Chinese companies, according to a new report from Reuters. Such an order would primarily impact Huawei and ZTE — both Chinese companies, and two of the largest manufacturers of telecom equipment — and have a significant impact on the ongoing rollout of 5G network infrastructure.
The planned executive order would direct the Commerce Department to block purchases of Chinese telecom equipment on national security grounds, an action that would not require approval from Congress. Because the order would focus on purchases made by American carriers, it would primarily impact cell towers rather than phones purchased by...