[kictanet] Huawei interview on China-Africa Podcast

Sat May 25 16:24:08 EAT 2019

Adam,

Planning to listen to the podcast...

In the next decade or two, only racism WILL reduce the influence of China
in Africa.

https://citizentv.co.ke/news/kenha-wants-4-chinese-workers-deported-for-assaulting-kenyan-officer-248925/

On Sat, May 25, 2019 at 3:41 PM Adam Lane via kictanet <
kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:

> For anyone with 50 minutes to spare and interested to listen to this
> podcast interview I did… Eric and Cobus do go for the fairly tough
> questions.
>
>
>
> https://chinaafricaproject.com/podcast-china-africa-huawei-adam-lane/
> [AUDIO] Like it or Not, Huawei is the Indispensable Tech Company in Africa
>
> *[EDITOR’S NOTE: This episode was recorded before the United States
> government announced that it would blacklist Huawei and blocked the company
> from using Google’s Android operating system and other apps.]*
>
> It is hard to overstate Huawei’s singular importance in the development of
> Africa’s information technology sector. Over the past ten years the
> company, often armed with state-backed loans from China, has built
> significant portions of Africa’s IT infrastructure, everything from
> networking to broadband connectivity to new cloud data centers in places
> like Egypt and South Africa. 70% of all 4G networks across the continent
> were reportedly built by Huawei.
>
> But while Huawei’s presence in Africa is pervasive it’s also
> controversial. Allegations that Huawei was involved in Chinese spying
> efforts against the African Union prompt similar questions like those being
> raised by the United States who challenge the company’s independence from
> both the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese government.
> “The U.S. is going to have to be strategic about how they approach this
> challenge. You can’t just blunder in and say, ‘It’s us or them.’ China does
> provide things that the continent needs.” — Joshua Meservey, Heritage
> Foundation senior analyst
> <https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/03/19/for-africa-chinese-built-internet-is-better-than-no-internet-at-all/>
>
> Although African stakeholders contend that security and privacy concerns
> surrounding Huawei are important, most do not believe they are paramount
> issues. Instead, access to affordable, high-quality telecommunications
> infrastructure is much more important.
>
> But now that the United States is closing in on the company, blocking
> Huawei from using the Android operating system, African telecom operators
> are likely starting to worry about what happens if Washington similarly
> blacklists Huawei’s use of components that are used in all that networking
> gear now running their phone and data networks.
>
> If Huawei is forced out of those markets, it could be cataclysmic for
> African telcos who would find it difficult, if not impossible, to switch to
> American, Korean or European vendors.
>
> The bottom line is that African telecommunications operators now rely on
> Huawei gear, making the Chinese company truly indispensable in the
> operation of their networks.
>
> Huawei, like almost every Chinese company, is notoriously averse to
> interacting with the media and rarely grants extended, on the record
> interviews with no pre-conditions.  So, it was a bit of a surprise when
> Adam Lane, senior public affairs director for Huawei Kenya, offered to
> appear on the podcast. He joins Eric & Cobus for a wide-ranging discussion
> on all aspects of the company’s operations in Africa and what the mood is
> like inside the firm.
>
> *Show Notes:*
>
> ·        *IT Web Africa*: Safaricom describes Huawei issue as ‘worrying’
> <http://www.itwebafrica.com/kenya/245917-safaricom-describes-huawei-issue-as-worrying> by
> Vincent Matinde
>
> ·        *Daily Nation*: What Huawei restriction means for Kenya and
> Africa
> <https://www.nation.co.ke/news/What-Huawei-restriction-means-for-Kenya-/1056-5124102-4g7e18z/> by
> Aggrey Mutambo
>
> ·        *Business Insider South Africa*: If you own a Huawei phone in
> South Africa, here is everything you need to know about the Google crisis
> <https://www.businessinsider.co.za/huawei-news-in-south-africa-what-is-happening-with-my-phone-2019-5> by
> Phillip de Wet
>
> ·        *Foreign Policy*: For Africa, Chinese-Built Internet Is Better
> Than No Internet
> <https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/03/19/for-africa-chinese-built-internet-is-better-than-no-internet-at-all/> at
> All by Amy Mackinnon
>
> About Adam Lane:
> <https://www.africahealthbusiness.com/speakers/adam-lane/>
>
> At Huawei since 2014, and based in Nairobi since 2016, Adam is currently
> responsible for working with governments, intergovernmental organizations,
> NGOs, the media and other stakeholders with a focus on the Kenya and East
> Africa region. Adam helps these groups understand how to use ICT for
> Development in their strategies, policies and programs; as well as
> developing partnerships and cross-sector collaboration with various actors
> in the ICT ecosystem including social enterprises. Adam has a strong focus
> on digital health in the region and is also actively engaging with those in
> the Internet of Things space.
>
> Previously, Adam was based in Huawei’s HQ as a Director for Corporate
> Sustainable Development responsible for Huawei’s global flagship project to
> bridge the digital divide as well as thought leadership on the digital
> divide. In 2015 after an extensive research effort around the world, Adam
> published Huawei’s white paper on Digital Enablement summarizing the
> challenges and solutions to bridging the digital divide (
> www.huawei.com/minisite/digital-enablement). He then set-up a new digital
> divide project related to e-health in Kenya building on the findings from
> this white paper working with a Kenyan social enterprise and helping them
> scale up their e-health project.
>
>
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-- 
SMM

*"Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one
who takes a city." Prov 16:32*
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