The Swedish telecommunications regulator banned the use of equipment produced by Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE in future 5G networks on Tuesday.
The decision comes ahead of the tender for the allocation of frequencies that will take place next month, Reuters reports.
The Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) said the ban was a consequence of the new law passed earlier this year and assessments by the Swedish armed forces and intelligence services to ”ensure that the use of frequencies does not endanger Sweden’s security.”
PTS added that companies that will take part at the allocation tender of 5G frequencies must remove the current Huawei and ZTE equipment from the central parts of their networks by January 1, 2025.
The regulator approved the participation of four operators in the second round of the tender procedure for the allocation of 2.3 and 3.5 Gigahertz frequencies, crucial for the launch of future 5G networks: Hi3G Access, Net4Mobility, Telia Sverige and Teracom.
