FRENCH authorities have told telecom operators planning to buy Huawei 5G equipment that they won’t be able to renew licenses for the gear once they expire, effectively phasing the Chinese firm out of mobile networks, sources close to the matter said.

Like other countries in Europe, France is laying the ground for its next-generation 5G mobile market in the middle of a growing geopolitical storm between two global superpowers.

The United States has pressed its allies to ban equipment made by Shenzhen-based Huawei. France’s cybersecurity agency ANSSI said this month it would allow operators to use equipment, including Huawei’s, under licenses of three to eight years. But it added it was urging telcom operators not currently using the Chinese company’s gear to avoid switching to it.

Operators must each apply for dozens of licenses for equipment to cover different parts of the country.

The sources said the ANSSI had informed operators of most license decisions for large cities. They said the bulk of authorizations for Huawei gear were for three or five years, while most of those for equipment from European rivals Ericsson or Nokia received eight-year licenses.

The ANSSI’s decisions have not been made public, either by the agency or by the companies.

The sources added that operators had also been told by French authorities during informal conversations in recent months, not stated formally in documents, that licenses granted for Huawei equipment would not be renewed thereafter. (SD-Agencies)