⁍ Sweden on Tuesday banned on security grounds the use of telecom equipment from China’s Huawei and ZTE.

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⁍ Follows advice from the country’s armed forces and security service, which described China as ‘one of the biggest threats against Sweden’
European governments have been tightening controls on Chinese companies building 5G networks.

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– Sweden is the latest country to ban the use of telecom equipment from China’s Huawei and ZTE on national security grounds. The country’s telecom regulator says the ban is based on advice from its armed forces and security service that China is “one of the biggest threats against Sweden,” reports Reuters. The Chinese embassy in Sweden, however, says there is no “concrete evidence” the companies’ equipment poses a threat, and it urges the country to “revisit its decisions.” The ban, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2025 and lasts until 2025, comes as other European countries restrict the role of Chinese suppliers in the building of 5G networks. Britain, for instance, ordered Huawei equipment to be completely removed from its 5G network by 2027. Huawei has been accused of being a security risk by the US and other countries, but China says there is no evidence its equipment could be used by the Chinese government for spying. “Many operators have already proven that when they rip and replace Chinese equipment, it doesn’t have a negative impact on their capital spending,” says an industry consultant.