News

When Western companies pulled back from Iran after the government's bloody
crackdown on its citizens two years ago, a Chinese telecom giant filled the
vacuum.

Huawei Technologies Co. now dominates Iran's government-controlled
mobile-phone industry. In doing so, it plays a role in enabling Iran's state
security network.

WSJ's Steve Stecklow has the story of Chinese telecom
firm Huawei, which dominates Iran's government-controlled mobile industry.
Photo: AP Photo/Kin Cheung

Huawei recently signed a contract to install equipment for a system at Iran's
largest mobile-phone operator that allows police to track people based on the
locations of their cellphones, according to interviews with telecom employees
both in Iran and abroad, and corporate bidding documents reviewed by The Wall
Street Journal. It also has provided support for similar services at Iran's
second-largest mobile-phone provider. Huawei notes that nearly all countries
require police access to cell networks, including the U.S.