Chinese telco Huawei has announced it is to move its UK headquarters from Basingstoke to Reading. The move is part of a pledge made in September by founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei to spend 1.3bn on the UK arm of the country over the next five years.
A Huawei spokesperson told IT Pro the move to Reading would allow the company to bring together its two offices in Basingstoke into one building, and incorporate its Slough office as well. The firm, which manufactures telecommunications equipment, also intends on expanding its UK workforce by 500 people and has been unable to find suitable premises in Basingstoke to accommodate the additional staff.
You could interpret the announcement as a sign of confidence in the UK market
The spokesperson added that Reading was chosen as it would bring the company closer to its customers, many of whom are also located in Reading, as well as giving them good access to the M40 and Heathrow airport.
Asked if today's announcement was in response to recent troubles in the USA, where the House of Representatives is seemingly seeking to exclude Huawei and another Chinese telco, ZTE from the market, the spokesperson said: "We made the announcement today as it is today that we signed the contract for our new premises. However, [in light of what has been happening in the US] you could interpret it as a sign of how confident we are in the UK market and our ability to grow here."
