Nick Read, chief executive of the world’s second-largest mobile operator, told reporters in Barcelona that cutting the number of network suppliers to two from three would damage the industry and economic growth.  He said it was time that the US provided evidence for its claims.

Huawei, the world’s biggest producer of telecoms equipment, is under intense scrutiny after the United States told allies not to use its technology because of fears it could be a vehicle for Chinese spy operations.

However, it never provided any actual proof that the Chinese government was using the company to spy on Western countries. Some cynical people think the move is part of the US Trade War to force western allies to buy more expensive US gear instead. The problem there is that the two other big players aren't American - Nokia and Ericcson.

Trump is also considering an executive order to erect barriers to the company’s doing business in the US Separately, the Federal Communications Commission is considering banning the use of some federal subsidies for networking gear from firms suspected of being a national security risk, such as Huawei.Some rural carriers use Huawei networking gear, citing its low cost.

Read has previously slammed the US actions saying that replacement of Huawei network will be time consuming and costly.