With Nokia, Apple and RIM all trying to flex their muscles and become the new gatekeepers of the mobile Internet, carriers are responding by making their own moves. AT&T and Vodafone are amongst likely buyers of Huawei’s handset unit.

Huawei Technologies, the largest mainland manufacturer of telecommunications equipment, is attracting interest from global industry players such as AT&T, the largest phone companyin the United States, and private equity firms including Blackstone on its sale of more than 50 per cent of its handset unit, sources said. (via)

The fact that carriers are looking to own a supplier of cheap mobile phones doesn’t bode well for the boys at Motorola!