Under a law approved last August, the government of Portugal can determine “the exclusion, restrictions on use or the cessation of use of equipment or services” of telecom companies
Portugal’s cybersecurity council, CSSC, has issued a resolution that could oblige local telecom operators to avoid using equipment from Chinese vendors in their 5G mobile networks.
The resolution paves the way for a 5G ban for vendors from “high-risk” countries and jurisdictions from supplying equipment for 5G networks.
The resolution by the CSSC would prohibit the use of equipment in 5G wireless network from suppliers based outside the European Union or from states that don’t belong to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) or the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), according to a government statement.
Under a law approved last August, the government of Portugal can determine “the exclusion, restrictions on use or the cessation of use of equipment or services” of telecom companies, setting conditions and deadlines for carriers to comply.
In the resolution, the CSSC did not specifically mention China or Chinese vendors but warned of a high risk to security from suppliers or providers that “are headquartered in a country where the government exercises control, interference or pressure on its activities in third countries.”
The resolution also cited security risks when the country where a vendor is based has no agreements on data protection, cybersecurity or protection of intellectual property with Portugal or the European Union.
Huawei said in a statement that it was aware that the Portuguese government had published a statement concerning the security risk of telecoms equipment, adding that the company was in the process of gathering more information with related authorities.
“Huawei has no prior knowledge of, and hasn’t been consulted about this matter,” the vendor said. “Over the past two decades, Huawei has worked with Portuguese carriers to build out 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 rely on our products and services.”
Several countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Japan, have already effectively banned Huawei from their 5G networks or imposed restrictions.
A number of European countries including Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have recently banned Chinese vendors from participating in their 5G networks. Germany recently said it was currently reviewing the use of Chinese components in its 5G networks.
