Orange Spain confirmed plans to work with Huawei in trials in Andalucia, while a 5G trial in Valencia will be carried out in partnership with ZTE
Spanish telecom operators Vodafone and Orange are planning to work with Chinese vendors Huawei and ZTE on pilot 5G projects, Spanish press reported.
Applications to Spanish telecoms agency Red.es for 5G subsidies show Vodafone plans to work with Huawei on 5G trials in Pamplona (Navarra), Malaga and Seville (Andalucia). Vodafone is also planning to work with Ericsson on a 5G trial in the city of Vigo, according to the report.
Orange is also proposing to trial 5G technology in Malaga and Seville in partnership with Huawei and in Valencia with ZTE, as well as planning a 5G trial in Vigo in partnership with Nokia.
As those plans proceed, some countries — including the U.S., Australia and New Zealand — have raised concerns about the use of 5G gear from Huawei and ZTE.
U.S. President Donald Trump is mulling an executive order that would ban U.S. carriers and other companies from using telecom equipment from Huawei and ZTE, Reuters reported, citing sources familiar with the situation. The executive order, which is not likely to name Huawei or ZTE, has been developing for over eight months and may be issued in January, according to Reuters.
According to the report, the executive order would invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a law that gives the president the authority to regulate commerce in response to a national emergency that threatens the United States. The U.S. government believes the two companies are closely linked to the Chinese government and therefore pose a security risk, because their equipment could be used to spy on US citizens.
In August, Trump signed a bill that barred U.S. government agencies from using equipment manufactured by Huawei and ZTE.
The bill prohibits the U.S. government and its contractors from buying certain telecommunications and video surveillance equipment from Huawei, ZTE and other Chinese communications companies. The ban covers components and services deemed “essential” or “critical” to any government system.
