EUROPE is giving U.S.-led calls for a boycott of Huawei fifth generation (5G) telecom equipment a mixed reception, with some governments untroubled by spy suspicions against the Chinese giant, but others backing a ban.

Several Asian and Pacific countries have followed Washington’s calls for a Huawei ban, but the picture in Europe is more nuanced, not least because Huawei’s 5G capabilities are so attractive. They are well ahead of Sweden’s Ericsson, Finland’s Nokia and South Korea’s Samsung, analysts say.

Fifth generation technology represents a quantum leap in wireless communication speed, and will be key to developing the Internet of things, including self-driving cars. That is why Europe wants to deploy it as quickly as possible.

“Operators have looked at alternatives but have realized that Huawei is currently more innovative and probably better for 5G,” said Dexter Thillien, an analyst at Fitch Solutions.

Huawei has faced increasing scrutiny not just from the United States, but also from Australia and Japan, both of which have blocked it from building their 5G Internet networks.

But in Europe, Portugal’s main operator MEO signed a deal with Huawei in December, praising the Chinese company’s “know how, competence, talent and capacity to develop technology and invest in our country.”

By contrast Norway, whose current networks are for the most part made up of Huawei equipment, is thinking of ways to reduce its “vulnerability,” according to the Nordic country’s transport and communications minister quoted in the local press.

Britain’s Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson meanwhile said he had “grave, very deep concerns about Huawei providing the 5G network in Britain.”

Germany is under pressure from Washington to follow suit, news magazine Der Spiegel reported. But the country’s IT watchdog says it had seen no evidence Huawei could use its equipment to spy for China.

Meanwhile, telecom operators across Europe, under heavy pressure to roll out 5G quickly, seem to be playing down security fears because using Huawei makes business sense to them.

“Huawei is much more expensive today than its competitors but it’s also much better,” said a spokesperson at a European operator who asked not to be named. The quality of Huawei’s equipment “is really ahead” of its European competitors, he added.

Furthermore, “everywhere in Europe, operators are the target of huge controls in that area and Huawei’s equipment has never been found to be at fault.”

(SD-Agencies)