Huawei ready to be ‘vivisected’ to show equipment does not pose a security risk


The head of Huawei’s Italian unit asserts that the company’s telecoms equipment does not pose a security risk in building the country’s 5G mobile networks

Huawei Italy president Luigi De Vecchis said the company had no intention of leaving the Italian market, despite US government pressure

Reuters Published: 30 Sep, 2020

Shenzhen-based Huawei Technologies, the world’s largest telecommunications equipment maker, is prepared to have its 5G mobile network gear thoroughly examined in Italy in response to security concerns raised by the US government. Photo: Bloomberg

Chinese telecommunications equipment maker  Huawei Technologies is ready to be thoroughly examined to show that its products does not pose any risk to the countries that will include its equipment in the creation of  5G mobile networks, the head of its Italian unit said on Wednesday.

“We will open our insides, we are available to be vivisected to respond to all of this political pressure …,” Huawei Italy president Luigi De Vecchis said at the opening ceremony of the group’s cybersecurity centre in Rome.

De Vecchis said Huawei had no intention of leaving the Italian market, despite all the pressure from trade sanctions imposed on the company by the US government over security concerns.

Huawei founder on cybersecurity and maintaining key component supply chains under US sanctions

Huawei founder on cybersecurity and maintaining key component supply chains under US sanctions

The US government has been lobbying Italy and other European allies to avoid using Huawei equipment in their next-generation mobile networks, saying the company could pose a security risk.

De Vecchis said he was unaware of issues over the closing of any 5G network equipment deals in Italy owing to the government’s use of its so-called golden powers on infrastructure deemed as strategic.

Shenzhen-based Huawei, the world’s largest telecoms gear supplier, has repeatedly rejected the US government’s accusations that the company and its products pose as a security threat.