U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan raised concerns about Huawei equipment in Brazil‘s 5G telecoms network during his visit to the country last week, a White House official said on Monday, noting that Brazil made no commitments about whether it would use products from the Chinese company.
Brazil‘s 5G auction has no date to take place due to disagreements over the call for tenders between the technical area of Brazil‘s audit court TCU, the government, and Anatel (Brazil‘s National Telecommunications Agency).
READ ALSO: Brazil to delay 5G auction expected to happen this month
In November 2020, Brazil‘s government backed the United States’ Clean Network proposal to build a global digital alliance that excludes technology that Washington sees as manipulated by China’s Communist government.
The adherence came during a visit by Keith Krach, U.S. under secretary of state for economic growth, energy and environment, who has advised Brazil not to buy fifth-generation (5G) telecommunications network equipment from China’s Huawei, which he has called “the backbone of China’s global surveillance.”
The U.S. government has offered Brazilian telcos finance to encourage them to buy from Western providers such as Nokia and Ericsson instead of Huawei. Yet, February this year Brazil’s regulator Anatel approved rules for a spectrum auction for 5G networks without any curbs on Huawei as an equipment supplier.
READ ALSO: Brazil’s Minister of Foreign Affairs resigns under pressure related to 5G
Sullivan also pressed Brazil‘s president, Jair Bolsonaro, on claims about election integrity and said the U.S. had confidence in Brazil‘s ability to carry out free elections, the National Security Council’s senior director for the Western Hemisphere, Juan Gonzalez, told reporters in a call.
