Brazil to commission government-owned 5G network, separate from private market

According to a Reuters report, Brazil’s federal government is planning to roll out a 5G network exclusively for its own use with security requirements for equipment suppliers separate from nationwide networks. The plan calls for a 5G network limited to the Federal District in Brasilia. The plan would allow President Bolsonaro to drop resistance to Huawei on the broader national network while removing equipment from untrusted vendors from the government’s 5G network. Brazil’s major telecommunications companies already use Huawei’s equipment and have opposed the restrictions on suppliers, arguing that the significant costs of replacing Huawei equipment would ultimately fall on consumers.