Huawei Confirms Appeal Against Sweden’s 5G Ban

Huawei continues to push back against Western bans on its 5G equipment over national security concerns.

Reuters reported that Huawei has filed an appeal against a ruling by a Swedish court in June that upheld a ban on the Chinese telecoms giant for selling 5G equipment in the country.

It all stems from October last year, when the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) imposed licence conditions for local operators looking to take part in its upcoming 5G spectrum auctions.

Huawei ban

It ruled that any auction bidders must remove Huawei and ZTE gear from existing central functions by January 2025 at the latest.

That Swedish decision came after assessments by the Swedish Armed Forces and security service, which called China “one of the biggest threats against Sweden.”

China issued a thinly veiled trade threat against Sweden.

In November 2020 Huawei won a court appeal against the ruling, but the PTS regulator said it would appeal against that ruling.

In December, the Administrative Court of Appeal backed PTS’s appeal, that allowed PTS to resume 5G spectrum auctions without removing an earlier ban on Huawei..

However that court also said Huawei could pursue a legal challenge over its exclusion.

Huawei, according to Reuters, has now said it has requested an oral hearing in the case, but the Court of Appeal could decide if such a hearing should be held or a preliminary ruling from the European Court of Justice should be requested.

Huawei had earlier said it would consider all options, including an appeal.

Huawei pain

There is little doubt that the 5G bans and sanctions imposed by Western nations, led by the United States, has hurt the Chinese vendor.

Last month Huawei reported its largest-ever drop in revenues in the first half of 2021, in part due to the sale of its Honor smartphone brand.

Huawei sold its Honor smartphone brand following the imposition of US sanctions by the Trump administration, in order to allow the unit to continue in business as an independent company.

The US added Huawei to an export blacklist in 2019, saying it was a national security threat, making it difficult for the Chinese company to access components such as microprocessors that use US design or manufacturing technology.

Last month Huawei’s chairman made a bold prediction that the Chinese firm will return to a leading position in the smartphone market in the future.