LONDON — Wireless carriers have for years said the next generation network, known as 5G, will provide not only hyper-fast mobile phone speeds, but breakthroughs for data-heavy technologies like autonomous vehicles, robotics and artificial intelligence.

So it came as a surprise last month when one of the world’s largest carriers, Britain’s Vodafone, said it was pausing some 5G investments in Europe. The decision stemmed from the roiling debate about the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, and uncertainty over whether European countries would ban the company from 5G networks because of national security concerns being raised by the Trump administration.

Vodafone’s decision involved only a small piece of its business in Europe, but shows how questions swirling about Huawei risk a cooling effect on the broader wireless industry. Even Huawei’s competitors have cautioned that the new uncertainty could harm business.

A blanket ban on Huawei, the world’s largest maker of telecommunications equipment, would have a “significant implication” for the wireless industry, and lead to a “significant delay” in the construction of new 5G networks, said Nick Read, Vodafone’s chief executive.