French telecoms operator Orange doubles down on Huawei defence amid heightened security debate
- Orange chief executive Stéphane Richard said he hoped more stringent rules would not lead to a de facto veto of Huawei in Europe
The head of France’s state-controlled telecommunications operator Orange has renewed his defence of Huawei Technologies’ right to sell 5G equipment in Europe amid tense debates on the continent over mobile network security.
US authorities have called for a complete ban on Huawei, the world’s biggest telecoms equipment supplier, in Europe’s 5G networks over fears of Chinese spying, leaving some of the largest mobile carriers fretting that their investment plans could be jeopardised.
“I’m against excluding Huawei,” Orange chairman and chief executive Stéphane Richard told reporters at a news conference in Paris on Thursday, but added that he was all in favour of a clear set of European-wide rules.
Shenzhen-based Huawei has repeatedly denied that its equipment can be used for spying.