Event – The Costs and Benefits of Banning Huawei

This week, MIT suspended its relationship with Chinese technology companies Huawei and ZTE, citing federal investigations.

Next week, another educational organization, the Technology Policy Institute, hosts a panel of experts to assess technical concerns and the costs and benefits of banning these companies from U.S. telecommunications markets.

Experts from the National Defense University, George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School, Virginia Tech, the New America Foundation and Politico will participate in a discussion moderated by Scott Wallsten, the Technology Policy Institute’s president and senior fellow.

Confirmed panelists include:

• T. Charles Clancy, Executive Director, Hume Center for National Security and Technology, Virginia Tech
• Eric Geller, Cybersecurity Reporter, Politico
• Jamil N. Jaffer, Executive Director, National Security Institute; Director, National Security Law & Policy Program at Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University
• Samm Sacks, Cybersecurity Policy and China Digital Economy Fellow, New America Foundation
• Harry Wingo, Chair, Cyber Security Department, College of Information and Cyberspace, National Defense University
• Scott Wallsten (moderator), President and Senior Fellow, Technology Policy Institute

The U.S. government has accused telecommunications manufacturer Huawei of making its equipment capable of gathering information for the Chinese government. In response to these concerns, the U.S. has banned domestic telecommunications companies from using Huawei equipment in their networks as they roll out new 5G services. Some western countries, particularly in Europe, seem less willing to ban the company’s products.

“This is an important policy and security issue that deserves these experts’ attention,” Wallsten said.

“National security concerns restrict available evidence, making it nearly impossible to do a full cost-benefit analysis of banning Huawei. But we may know more than we think.”