Huawei had been stockpiling 5G base station core chips for months ahead of the US ban deadline, ensuring availability at least through 2021, Bloomberg reported today.
The report cited sources close to TSMC as saying that the chip maker began expanding production of Huawei's 5G base station core communications chipset "Tiangang" from late 2019.
Before the US ban went into effect in September, TSMC delivered more than 2 million 7 nm Tiangang chips at Huawei's request. The order was so large that at one point TSMC executives questioned whether they had underestimated the global demand for 5G, according to the report.
Huawei reportedly chartered a plane to bring back all the Kirin chips
On January 24, 2019, Huawei unveiled the world's first 5G base station core chip, the Huawei Tiangang, at a 5G product launch event.
The report said that Huawei has informed China's three major operators that its components can still support base station construction in 2021 and beyond, despite the sanctions. Huawei has been shipping 5G base stations that don't use US technology since at least the end of last year.
From following to leading: Huawei's journey in chip development
