According to Engadget , the Portuguese government this week recommended banning local carriers from sourcing 5G equipment from suppliers based outside the European Union (EU) or countries that are not members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) or the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OCED).
Not only Huawei but many other Chinese companies may also be banned from participating in building 5G networks in Portugal
A statement shared by Portugal's high-level cybersecurity council last week said the government believes companies outside these jurisdictions pose a "high risk" to the country's wireless security. The document did not name Huawei, but since China is not a member of NATO, the OECD or the EU, the company, along with other Chinese suppliers such as ZTE, would be excluded from building Portugal's 5G network if the government accepts the council's recommendation.
Commenting on the report, a Huawei spokesperson said: "Huawei had no prior knowledge of and was not consulted on this matter. Over the past two decades, Huawei has worked with Portuguese operators to build wireless networks and provide quality services that connect millions of people. We will continue to comply with all applicable laws and regulations and serve Portuguese customers and partners who trust our products and services."
Banning Chinese companies from 5G networks would be a dramatic turn for Portugal, which has had close ties with China for years. According to the Financial Times , Portugal has been one of the largest recipients of Chinese investment in recent years. Altice Portugal, the country's largest wireless carrier, signed a deal in 2018 to use Huawei equipment for part of its 5G rollout. If Portugal moves forward with the ban, it would join Canada and several other European countries, including Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, in banning the Chinese company from their 5G networks.
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