Huawei sues Romania after being denied authorization for 5G infrastructure

Huawei has sued the Romanian state after its request for authorization for 5G infrastructure equipment was rejected.

In February of this year, Romania’s Supreme Council of National Defense, or CSAT, denied Huawei from taking part in Romania’s 5G networks. In retaliation, the company now filed a lawsuit against CSAT, the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitization, and the prime minister of Romania, requesting the annulment of this decision.

According to a decision signed by prime minister Marcel Ciolacu, the request for authorization to use Huawei equipment in 5G networks was rejected on grounds related to national security, as reported by Hotnews.ro.

Back then, the company argued that "its equipment and services are secure and reliable, and its technical solutions are also verified and certified to meet all standards and requirements in the telecommunications industry." It also said that the CSAT decision will impact its business in Romania. Nevertheless, it maintained that "together with its 1,300 local employees, it will continue to serve the Romanian society with secure and reliable solutions, develop ICT talents, and promote employment,” while reserving the right to challenge the decision.

At the end of August 2023, Huawei, facing restrictions in European 5G technology markets, announced it had signed a global cross-licensing agreement with Swedish rival Ericsson, which covers long-term essential patents for a wide range of technologies, including those related to 5G communications.

According to a press release sent last year to Startupcafe.ro, the Huawei-Ericsson agreement covers the companies' sales of network infrastructure and consumer devices, granting both parties global access to mutually patented standardized technologies concerning 3GPP, ITU, IEEE, and IETF for 3G, 4G, and 5G technologies.

(Photo source: Mckinnon | Dreamstime.com)