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The upcoming 5G spectrum auction will go ahead as planned on the 19th of January
There has been something of a back-and-forth between Huawei and the Swedish regulators regarding the Chinese company’s exclusion from the nation’s 5G networks, but discussions appear to be drawing to a close with the Supreme Administrative Court dismissing Huawei’s appeal.
Back in October, the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) announced that Huawei and ZTE would not be permitted to provide any equipment for the country’s 5G networks, as well as mandating that existing equipment from the companies be phased out by the start of 2025.
Huawei appealed the decision in November, which temporarily postponed the country’s upcoming 5G spectrum auction due to the injunction. PTS, in turn, appealed this decision, which ultimately allowed the auction to be rescheduled for January the 19th.
At the start of January, Huawei sent a further appeal to the Swedish Supreme Administrative Court, but this has now been summarily thrown out.
“A ruling by the Administrative Court of Appeal in a case relating to the law on electronic communication is final and therefore cannot be appealed,” said the court. “The appeal should thus be dismissed.”
As a result, it appears that Huawei’s chances of surviving in the Swedish market are slim to none, despite the Chinese vendor promising to meet any requirements set by the regulator in order to keep their market position.
Huawei’s Swedish rival Ericsson has been a major beneficiary of sanctions placed on the Chinese company over the last year, but the company’s CEO Borje Ekholm has spoken out against the Huawei ban in the past, citing a commitment to free market principles. Of course, with Huawei banned in Sweden, Ericsson will be a major potential target for economic reprisals by the Chinese government, given the Swedish vendor’s significant presence in the country.
For Sweden itself, this ruling means that there should be no more delays to their already belated 5G spectrum auction, which is due to auction spectrum in the 3.5 GHz and 2.3 GHz bands.
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