Portugal renews 5G curbs on high-risk suppliers

Portugal’s government has renewed restrictions on “high-risk” suppliers in 5G networks after a new security review, maintaining a policy that in practice excluded Huawei from the market. The decision preserves limits on who can supply critical network infrastructure in Portugal.

The government confirmed to ECOnews that it approved a proposal from the Cybersecurity Security Assessment Commission to renew the measures previously adopted under Decision No. 1/2024. According to the Presidency Ministry, the new security assessment was completed within the legal deadline, which expired on September 30.

The exact content of the renewed decision has not been made public. A government official told ECOnews that the measure was not disclosed because it is classified. A public decision from May 2023 had already barred telecom companies from using equipment and services from companies deemed high risk for cybersecurity, including suppliers headquartered outside the European Union, the OECD or NATO.

The renewed restrictions follow a transitional rule in Portugal’s new cybersecurity law, which took effect on April 3, 2026 and kept the 5G ban on high-risk suppliers in force for 180 days pending a new assessment. Huawei challenged the 2023 decision in court in September that year, while Meo, one of the operators most affected, is still replacing Huawei equipment with Nokia technology and has separately sought €82 million in compensation from the Portuguese state.

Originally published at Eco.pt