Huawei and Honor users may be left without Android updates

Under the temporary license, some exceptions to the ban on cooperation between US companies and Huawei, introduced by the US government last year, have become possible. Recall that the ban prevents US companies from supplying technology to the Chinese telecommunications giant, but Huawei devices continued to receive software updates and security patches under a temporary license.  

The US Department of Commerce attributed this move to the need to provide a grace period for some American telecom operators that used Huawei equipment in their networks. This mainly concerns small regional operators, since large companies either did not use Huawei equipment or have already replaced it.

The Commerce Department confirmed that the license had expired, adding that it “enabled users and telecommunications service providers to continue to interact with existing networks and devices, accelerating the transition to alternative providers. ” A Huawei spokesman said the company is “monitoring the situation and assessing the possible consequences. “

The end of the license also means that Google will no longer be able to provide software updates for Huawei mobile devices running Android. Prior to that, Google, under the mentioned license, provided updates for Android and branded services to Huawei and Honor devices, which were released before the entry into force of the US government ban, which began to operate in May last year.