The New Government Of Portugal Still Bans The Use Of Chinese 5G Equipment

Portuguese Infrastructure Minister Miguel Pinto Luz (photo: x @miguelluz)

JAKARTA The new Portuguese central-rights government will maintain a ban imposed by the previous administration on the use of equipment from China in the 5G network, although it is estimated that this step will have a significant impact on costs. Portuguese Infrastructure Minister Miguel Pinto Luz stressed that the policy would still be implemented for national security.

The ban was first implemented in May 2023 by the previous Socialist government through the CSSC Cybersecurity Council, which banned the use of Chinese equipment in 5G and 4G networks that became the foundation of the technology. This ban is a major blow to Chinese tech giant Huawei, which is trying to break into Portugal's 5G market.

Pinto Luz, in an interview with broadcaster NOW, said that security policies like this require continuity, given the increasingly changing global situation. "There is an increasingly large economic and geopolitical war between the two poles," he said.

Main operators in Portugal such as Altice, NOS, and Vodafone have stated that they will not use Huawei technology in their 5G core network. However, they still have to replace all of the Huawei equipment that has been used previously.

A study conducted by EY's consultant to Huawei estimates that the impact of this Chinese technology exemption could cost Portugal more than 1 billion euros (Rp17 trillion), including a replacement fee of 339 million euros. However, Minister Pinto Luz said that operators would be given a "wide enough time" to replace equipment.

Huawei itself has filed a lawsuit in Lisbon's court against the Cybersecurity Council's decision.