Infrastructure Minister Miguel Pinto Luz said on Monday on Now that he “does not believe” that the national telecommunications network will become more expensive or slower due to the exclusion of Chinese technology company Huawei from the 5G network.
Pinto Luz’s statements come after a study by EY indicated that a definitive exclusion of Huawei from 5G could cost the Portuguese economy more than one billion euros.
The official said that the current government inherited the security assessment from the previous government, highlighting that the working group formed and all the experts “point to the need to make our system less permeable to this type of potential threats”.
The Minister responsible for Telecommunications acknowledges that the tougher US position was followed, but highlights that the “consensus” reached with the operators allows for the scheduling of investments so that companies have “a wider time window” and “do not have to change everything now” in terms of equipment.
The consultancy firm states in the study that “replacing Huawei equipment in the 5G network would entail a total cost of over one billion euros for the Portuguese economy, including 339 million euros in replacement investments and 193 million euros in future investments”, among other costs.
Pinto Luz also said that the entire Beira Baixa line will be in operation in January. “We will open the first two sections in November and December and the entire line in January,” he revealed.
Source: www.jornaldenegocios.pt
