CW+ Premium Content/CW Nordics

The Norwegian government’s decision not to implement an outright ban on the use of 5G equipment supplied by Huawei has left the door open for the Chinese company to pursue non-core 5G network opportunities in Norway. This shifts decision-making on contracts and partnerships concerning the purchase and deployment of Huawei technologies to the boardrooms of individual telecom companies. But the government’s resolution, broadly welcomed by industry chiefs within the telecom and mobile communications domain, is proving unpopular in Washington. The Trump administration has actively lobbied Nordic governments not to do business with Huawei on the basis that technologies embedded in its equipment could pose a national cyber security threat because of the uncertain nature of Huawei’s relationship with China’s defence and intelligence agencies. “The specific focus of our security requirements falls on telecommunications companies and not on individual suppliers,” said Nikolai Astrup, Norway’s minister of local government and ...