Last Updated on 26/05/2021 by Khushi

In a recently held telecommunications auction in Ethiopia which was being closely watched by the interested entities, a US-backed consortium defeated one financed by China. This marks a victory for Washington in its push to challenge Beijing’s economic influence around the world.

The East African country announced on Saturday that it has selected a consortium of telecommunications companies led by the United Kingdom’s Vodafone Group PLC to build a nationwide, 5G-capable wireless network.

The group had received financial support from a newly formed United States foreign-aid agency for the respective project.

The agency provides low-interest loans, but there is a catch: the funds cannot be used to purchase telecom equipment from China’s Huawei Technologies Co. and ZTE Corp. since it is rather supposed as a spying threat by Washington even after the Company’s denying response to these speculations.