Netherlands T-Mobile to replace China's Huawei 5G technology with Sweden's Ericsson
Jul 07, 2022
The Hague [Netherlands], July 7 : T-Mobile, the largest mobile network provider in the Netherlands will stop building networks with Chinese company Huawei as Swedish company Ericsson will supply the new 5G radio network to T-Mobile.
The contract with the current supplier Huawei signed in 2017 will not be renewed. The decision has been taken after the rules were tightened over the use of Huawei technology due to apprehensions of espionage, reported local media.
Earlier, T-Mobile relied almost entirely on Chinese technology until a few years ago. The management and maintenance of the network were also outsourced by T-Mobile to Huawei.
The decision to replace Huawei with Ericsson is not surprising considering China's laws that state companies must cooperate with its intelligence services.
"T-Mobile has entered into a long-term commitment with Ericsson for the provision of the mobile radio network for both 5G and the current 3G and 4G," said T-Mobile.
Telecom providers in the Netherlands have been informed that they will be compensated if they get rid of their networks of 'unreliable suppliers/equipment', said the local media.
Earlier, Australia, Canada, New Zealand UK, and US also imposed restrictions or banned Huawei equipment from their 5G network.
Meanwhile, KPN is the only Dutch telecom that is using Huawei in the 5G network but has removed it from the core network, for which they have engaged Ericsson, reported local media.
Huawei now is only limited to peripheral networks in the case of KPN.