Brazil telcos trust 5G decision will be technical

Brazilian operators are confident that the decision about whether foreign firms, particularly China’s Huawei and ZTE, are allowed to supply 5G network equipment will be based on "technical and economic" criteria.

Conexis Brasil Digital, representing the largest telcos in the country, said in a press release that a meeting between executives and communications minister Fábio Faria has assured the sector that the government will follow a technical approach.

The group said that the meeting was “productive” and that it opened a direct channel with the minister. Among the participants were the CEOs of Algar Telecom, Claro, Oi, Vivo, and the executive president of Conexis Brasil Digital, Marcos Ferrari.

According to Conexis, the industry received assurances that the decisions for the 5G auction will be taken on technical and economic grounds, “considering both the security requirements associated with the solutions and all aspects of costs related to the implementation of the technology and its connection with the existing infrastructure on the operators' networks.”

All major global suppliers, including Huawei, already have operations in the country and provide technology for 2G, 3G and 4G networks.

The largest mobile operator in Brazil, Telefónica’s Vivo, uses Huawei equipment in 65% of its networks, according to industry estimates. Claro's equipment is 55% from Huawei, while the Chinese company provides 60% of Oi’s equipment and 45% of TIM’s.