The Lithuanian parliament has voted to bar “unreliable” manufacturers and suppliers from the country's electronic communications market, especially in deploying 5G mobile network technology.
Under the law, technology will have to be screened for compliance with national security interests.
Read more: We won’t be ‘part of the China-controlled technosphere’ – Lithuanian committee chair
The parliament, Seimas, passed the respective amendments to the Law on Communications and the Law on the Protection of Objects of Importance to Ensuring National Security on Tuesday.
The amendments prohibit unreliable manufacturers and suppliers from participating in the electronic communications market and require checking equipment for compliance with national security interests before allocating radio frequencies for 5G networks.
Operators currently using equipment and infrastructure that do not meet the criterion will have until the end of 2025 to replace it. Otherwise, they will not be eligible to apply for state-allocated radio frequencies for 5G networks.
Lithuania's military intelligence has said Huawei's involvement in the development of the 5G wireless network infrastructure poses a security risk due to China's laws requiring that companies share information with the government.
Telia has started installing next-generation Ericsson mobile base stations across Lithuania to replace Huawei equipment.
Read more: Lithuanian telecoms drop Huawei for ‘geopolitical reasons’
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