Telenor, a leading telecommunications company across Scandinavia said Huawei would still play a role in developing Norway’s 5G network. The company, which operates worldwide, including in Asia, said it plans to modernise its network and the Chinese giant would be involved in this process. “We have been very pleased with the cooperation with Huawei”, said Telenor’s CEO and President Sigve Brekke.
At the same time, the company announced that it had chosen Swedish company Ericsson as the RAN (radio access network) supplier for its 5G network, noting that it would use Huawei’s equipment in upgrading 5G coverage in select parts of Norway. Telenor and Huawei collaborated for more than a decade in creating the country's 4G network, with the Chinese giant supplying RAN equipment.
Telenor Norway's boss Petter-Boerre Furberg told Reuters that the company also plans to phase out Huawei’s network components over the next 4-5 years.
European companies and governments are considering whether to continue working with Huawei and allow it to develop next generation networks following accusations against the Chinese giant made by the United States. President Donald Trump claimed Huawei represents a threat to national security, alleging that it spies on its customers at the behest of the Chinese government, a claim that Beijing and Huawei categorically deny.
Despite the US campaign to push the Chinese giant out of 5G development, Washington’s allies are not in a hurry to ditch Huawei. Telephonica Deutschland said it chose the company as one of two RAN suppliers for its 5G network, while Telephonica Spain said the telecom giant would build the core of its 5G.
