Local media reported Brazil reversed course on a plan to exclude Huawei equipment from networks in the country, with cost concerns and a lack of support for the move driving President Jair Bolsonaro to backtrack.
Vice President Hamilton Mourao told newspaper Estadao all companies which comply with Brazil’s data sovereignty and privacy regulations would be allowed to offer 5G equipment.
Last month, Reuters reported Bolsonaro was seeking to ban use of Huawei equipment through any legal means possible ahead of a 5G spectrum auction scheduled to take place later this year.
Estadao noted government officials and the telecoms industry warned a ban would carry costs in the billions of dollars, adding Bolsonaro was also losing key support for the plan with the impending departure of US President Donald Trump.
US officials pressured Brazilian operators to drop Huawei equipment last year, offering to help fund the purchase of replacements from Ericsson and Nokia.
The nation also joined a US-led Clean Networks campaign, widely regarded as targeting Huawei’s exclusion.
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