The governments of Estonia and the US have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) which will restrict the use of Huawei equipment in Estonia’s 5G mobile core networks. The US has been attempting to persuade its allies to abandon Huawei as a vendor partner due to concerns over Chinese government spying.
A report from Postimees cites Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas as saying: ‘We are following common principles in developing 5G networks. The credibility of new technologies as a digital nation is a top priority for Estonia and the US is our most important ally in terms of security. The statement agreed with the US gives a strong signal that Estonia, along with its allies, understands security in developing 5G networks.’
Huawei has responded by saying it is ‘concerned’ about the declaration. Ricky Chen, head of Huawei in the Baltic region, commented: ‘Cyber security is a technical issue and should not politicised. It should be evaluated and verified on the basis of facts and standards.’ Huawei’s largest customer in Estonia is mobile and fixed network operator Elisa.