US Senators uneasy over possible Huawei equipment deal for Sprint

Chinese telecom giant Huawei already has a pretty big (and growing) presence in North America, having previously signed deals with regional carriers like Leap (better known by its Cricket brand) and MetroPCS -- but apparently, a bid to supply one of the Big Four with equipment is hitting a little too close to home for some legislators. A group of eight US Senators has filed a letter with the Treasury Department expressing concern over Huawei's alleged ties with everything from Saddam Hussein's Iraq to present-day Iran to China's own People's Liberation Army, saying that such a company "should not be able to do business" in the country. Of course, similar concerns ended up dooming Huawei's attempted buyout of 3Com not long ago -- and considering the political climate in US-China relations, this is the kind of lukewarm response Huawei and other major Chinese firms might need to keep dealing with as they try to grow their Western presence.