Like the UK and other countries in Europe, France is having to contend with the growing economic and political confrontation between the US and China while preparing its next-generation 5G mobile market.
While this is not a total ban on using equipment from Huawei in the roll-out of France's 5G network, French authorities are urging French firms to avoid using the company.
The French cybersecurity agency ANSSI had said that it would allow operators to use equipment, including Huawei’s, under licences of three to eight years but is urging telcos, not currently using the Chinese company’s gear, to avoid switching to it.
In France, operators have to apply for licences for equipment tin order o cover different parts of the country.
To date, the majority of authorisations for Huawei gear have been for three or five years, while for its European rivals Ericsson and Nokia the licences received tend to extend to eight-years.
However, the fact that once licences expire - even if they are for eight years - telcos will not be able to renew them means that Huawei is being effectively phased out of the French 5G network.
According to sources, and as reported by Reuters, while French operators might still be able to obtain an eight-year authorisation for the use of Huawei equipment, they would eventually have to dismantle it,
France's decision over Huawei's equipment is crucial for two of the country's four telecoms operators, Bouygues Telecom and SFR, as about half of their current mobile network is made by the Chinese group.
