Ericsson CEO Borje Ekholm spoke to CNBC this week and revealed his belief that absolutely no one is ahead of his company when it comes to 5G.
Ekholm was keen to dispel claims that Huawei was leading the way on 5G, and said, “I find it’s a bit difficult to say that we’re behind when I see no one ahead of us.”
He acknowledged that the tensions and accusations surrounding Huawei are “creating uncertainty in the market”, but he claimed that the “notion that we get a free ride” if Huawei is out of the picture isn’t true. He went on to say that Ericsson’s equipment was actually the first to be used in both North America and Europe.
Europe can operate without Huawei
Dexter Thillien, senior industry analyst at Fitch Solutions, said it’s “not true” to claim that Huawei is the “only player” in 5G. He went on to highlight Erisson and Nokia’s equipment as strong alternatives to the Chinese company.
“Europe can be able to operate without Huawei,” Thillien said. He also explained that the US, Japan and South Korea have been able to successfully launch 5G networks without using Huawei’s equipment.
The Ericsson CEO also addressed the issues surrounding the Huawei situation. “I think the whole uncertainty that we have geopolitically is not a positive,” Ekholm said. “At the same time I hope we find a solution that allows the world to move forward. Security aspects are going to be critical in a 5G world.”
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