A government document excludes Chinese Huawei from the private network; The ministry denies

The document prepared within the Ministry of Communications clearly records that Chinese Huawei technology is outside the private communications network to be established by the federal government.

This type of veto of the Chinese company is known in Brasilia. Communications Minister Fabio Varia has stated more than once that Huawei’s governance rules exclude it from the process. But now the document has appeared in which this has been clarified, but in a mixed context of the bidding process for 5G networks.

When explaining the events of the so-called Digital Day, a series of performances from Wednesday to Friday of this week (5-7.ai.2021), the file is in Power point (Here it is full – 1.8 MBHe says the following:

“In PLANALTO PALACE: First independent 5G network pilot launch in Brazil: ERICSSON (Network Infrastructure) + TIM (Signal)”.
Jenin is a secure private government network (without Huawei)“.

Here is the slide with this inscription:

As noted, the government document talks about launching a pilot and pilot project for 5G (in market language, it’s a process “independently”, Because it is unique) to be operated in partnership between Ericsson and TIM. It happens then, in a mixed way, that there is talk of the government’s private communications network (something completely different from the 5G network everyone uses) and Huawei is left out.

to me Powder 360Communications Minister Fabio Varia said he was not aware of the document. After that, the volume released an official note, also stating that corporate booths at this week’s event will not display the logos:

The Ministry of Communications informed that since the first proposal, it has been determined that the exhibiting companies will not have their logos revealed, as it is a corporate event that has no commercial intentions. This document is not official and must have been made by someone unintentionally. The trend has always been that the event should only focus on showing the potential of 5G – whose auction, by the way, does not even involve the companies that manufacture the equipment. The pilot of the 5G Standalone will only be in partnership with Tim and Ericsson, therefore, no other company will be involved at this first moment. ”.

At the beginning of the government of President Jair Bolsonaro, there was a much more aggressive stance against China and its companies. Over time, it was decided that the arrival of 5G would also make it necessary, for reasons of state security, to build a private communications network, exclusively for the Federal Administration. For this system, a technology that is more neutral will be chosen, without Huawei. This was always expressed with the justification that Chinese corporate governance did not meet the required standards. In the document now released (and rejected by the Ministry of Communications), the exclusion was more direct, without much explanation.

On Monday morning (May 3, 2021) the Bolsonaro government’s decision to split the Digital Day event is already known in Brasília, and a 5G technology exhibition will be held at Palazzo Planalto, as mentioned in previous invitations. Now, there will be an event at Government House and another at the National Convention – May 5-7.

The event in Congress will have booths of big companies selling 5G technology, such as HuaweiAnd the Nokia e Qualcomm.

Planalto preferred to do everything in a public way, outside the palace and without company logos. The desire is for only technologies to be presented, such as high data transfer speed, virtual reality, etc.

Industry players view this situation as a sign of uneasiness with the presence of the Chinese company Huawei. More broadly, in the relationship with the government of China, which is confused with its companies.

In a note issued earlier on Monday (May 3, 2021), the Communications Ministry stated that the event’s transfer was motivated by logistical issues:

“The Digital Day event, on May 5, will be held in the black hall of the National Congress for logistical reasons. The space is more suitable for the exhibition, in addition to facilitating access for parliamentarians. All Covid-19 prevention measures will be followed compulsorily, as determined by the House and Senate Administration.

There was a congressional meeting Monday morning to organize the event, two days before it began. There are still unspecified details. This type of improvisation is uncommon.

a Card The event changed after the plans changed. The first said that the event would be at Planalto Palace. The second, released by the Communications Department, says it will be in Congress. The updated call comes from Minister Fabio Varia. In the appendix is ​​the emblem of the federal government. The legislative branch only gives up space. President Jair Bolsonaro is expected to attend the opening.

The two cards are from the same event. Firstly, everything was at Planalto Palace. Then he moved to the National Congress

clash

Although the government says the signs will be public, the Powder 360 She found that companies are dissatisfied because they are prohibited from exposing their trademarks without making clear what each of them does.

At the start of the event idea, a member of the government raised the restrictions on the presence of a Chinese company Huawei booth in Planalto Palace. A part of the ideological wing of the government adopts the rhetoric opposing Huawei’s participation in the 5G deployment in Brazil.

Now, there will only be one party at Presidency. The technology exhibition was held in the Black Conference Hall, from May 5-7. Firms are already setting up display places in the Legislative House.

Kiosks for 5G technology companies have been set up in Congress May 3, 2021

Government resistance to Huawei

The Chinese company already has a wide presence in the country. It is the manufacturer of most of the equipment used by telephone companies in Brazil, as shown in this table prepared before Powder 360:

The war of stories about China’s participation in the auction caused one of the president’s sons, Representative Eduardo Bolsonaro (PSL-SP), causing a diplomatic incident with China when he wrote the following on Twitter in November:

“The government of Jair Bolsonaro announced its support for the Clean Network Alliance, launched by the government of Donald Trump, and the creation of a global alliance for a secure 5G network, without espionage from China.”.

The Chinese embassy has classified the attack as “UnacceptableHe mentioned that this kind of speech may be ‘Negative consequences’ For a list of the two states.

Huawei has been banned from 5G networks in countries like the US, UK, Australia and Sweden. Here is a chart of the main countries declaring and rejecting Huawei 5G:

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