Portugal's telecom watchdog working with operators to bar Huawei

Nos SGPS SA

18/09/2023 18:37

By Sergio Goncalves
       LISBON, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Portugal's telecom watchdog
said on Monday it is working with operators to implement a
high-level resolution which effectively bars Huawei's equipment
from the country's 5G mobile networks, despite legal objections
from the Chinese company.
    The CSSC council is the Portuguese prime minister's
consultative body and its resolution, although it did not name
Huawei, was seen as a blow to efforts by the Chinese group to
enter standalone networks in Portugal's 5G market and extend
contracts on 4G platforms on which the new technology is based.
    Huawei filed a lawsuit with a Lisbon court against the
resolution at the end of August, seeking "protection of its
legitimate interests and legal rights under the law".
    Portugal's main operators, Altice, NOS  NOS.LS  and Vodafone
 VOD.L  have already said they will not use Huawei equipment in
5G core networks, amid European and U.S. concerns that Chinese
involvement in critical infrastructure could compromise
security. Beijing and Huawei reject such suggestions.
    ANACOM president Joao Cadete de Matos said that the telecoms
watchdog, which is responsible for implementing the resolution,
"will execute all decisions that are taken regarding security,
not only within the national but also the European framework".
    "It is work that is ongoing and we hope that it will be
carried out successfully. We can assure the Portuguese that we
are also working together with the operators", he added.
    With reference to the Huawei lawsuit, Matos told a press
conference that "it is necessary to wait for its development,
but the most important thing is that ANACOM is working in an
articulated, considered and rigorous way to fulfil what the
country expects".
    Portugal's secretary of state for digitalisation, Mario
Campolargo, who chairs the CSSC, earlier told Reuters that the
resolution reached in May was based on an independent, strict
security assessment following European Union guidelines, and did
not specifically target Chinese suppliers.
    Matos said that there is "close cooperation" between the
government and ANACOM.  

 (Reporting by Sergio Goncalves; Editing by Alexander Smith)
 ((sergio.goncalves@thomsonreuters.com; +351213509204; Reuters
Messaging: sergio.goncalves.reuters.com@reuters.net))