The Estonian government has drafted a proposal that would ascribe security credentials to equipment vendors looking to supply 5G technologies.
The suggested regulations have leaked from the country’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, and have already been harshly criticized by operators for being overly political.
Public broadcaster Eesti Rahvusringhaaling (ERR) reported that if the proposal is adopted, vendors will receive a security ranking based on criteria such as being listed on a public stock exchange or being based in a European Union (EU) country. Vendors would only receive clearance to supply specific technologies if they achieve the corresponding ranking.
Elisa Estonia CEO Sami Seppanen has argued that all vendors are required to manufacture components to effectively the same international standards, and that most operators already use components manufactured in China.
Seppanen noted that there was no evidence to suggest that Huawei equipment featured backdoors that could be used for espionage purposes, concluding that any restrictions on imports from Asia were politically motivated and based on “false assumptions about the security risks Huawei presents”.
