Italy’s government has blocked its telecoms operator Fastweb from signing a contract with Huawei to use the Chinese firm’s equipment on the country’s 5G core network, Reuters said on Friday, citing three people with knowledge of the matter, signaling a hardening of Italy’s stance toward Huawei.
The decision, made by the Italian government at a cabinet meeting on Thursday, marks the first time Italy has vetoed an equipment deal with Huawei for its 5G core network, the report said. The report also cites a source as saying that the government has also asked Fastweb to find other suppliers.
During a visit to Italy last month, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described China’s telecoms technology as a threat to Italy’s national security. Huawei has denied the allegations, and its Italian subsidiary has said they are willing to undergo any tests to prove that their technology is safe.
While U.S. allies such as the U.K. have announced that they will not use Huawei equipment in their future telecommunications infrastructure, Italy has yet to make a similar decision.
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