Huawei continues to expand in Brazil despite fears of 5G ban

As the Jair Bolsonaro administration reaches its halfway point, one major question remains unanswered: will Chinese giant Huawei be banned from next year’s 5G auction in Brazil? The question is pivotal for Beijing’s international plans, and while the Brazilian government has yet to take a definitive stance on the issue, the company continues to go about its business — trying to increase its footprint in the local telecom market to a point where a ban would be virtually impossible.

As fellow Brasília correspondent Débora Álvares showed, the Chinese firm has nurtured strong relationships in Congress – notably with lawmakers from the Center-West state of Goiás. And it is in that same state that Huawei is making another bold move to plant its flag in Brazil’s fifth-generation networks, moving to implement a 5G grid to be used by agricultural properties.

The project, launched in the municipality of Rio Verde (200 kilometers southwest of state capital Goiânia), is centered around an internet hub in an area of up to 300 square kilometers (or 55...