Seeking end to 5G ban, Huawei says ready to accept terms Sweden may set
China’s Huawei is willing to meet any requirement that Sweden may set on 5G network equipment and take other measures to mitigate concerns, a senior executive said, after a ban in the country delayed spectrum auctions.
In October, Sweden banned Huawei equipment from its 5G network citing national security risks. It also asked companies taking part in 5G spectrum auctions to remove components from Huawei by January 1, 2025.
Sweden’s telecom regulator PTS in October banned the use of equipment from Huawei and ZTE by telecom operators taking part in the 5G auctions. Huawei won a court injunction and an appeal by PTS is pending.
“We are even willing to meet extraordinary requirements, such as setting up test facilities for our equipment in Sweden, for example, if they want to. We are now in the middle of the court process, but we are willing to have pragmatic discussions”, Kenneth Fredriksen, Huawei’s Executive Vice President, Central East Europe and Nordic Region, told the media.
The United States last year added Huawei to its trade blacklist amid concerns that its 5G equipment enables the Chinese government to spy on other nations. Sweden was the second country in Europe after the United Kingdom to impose a ban on Huawei equipment from its 5G network.
PTS decided on the ban after consulting the armed forces and Swedish Security Services, and has decided to postpone the auction until the court of appeal has ruled, a spokesman said.
