LONDON -- Ericsson has hit back at criticism that it lacks the resources to replace Huawei in European telecom networks should regional authorities ban the Chinese vendor from their equipment markets.
Arun Bansal, Head of Market Area Europe & Latin America at the Swedish vendor, dismissed as a "myth" the recent suggestions that Ericsson lacks the manpower and product portfolio to cope with a swap-out.
His rebuttal comes days after a major European operator told Light Reading that neither Ericsson nor Finnish rival Nokia had the products, stock and resources to be a substitute for Huawei, which overtook Ericsson in 2015 to become the world's biggest supplier to communications service providers globally. (See Huawei Muscle Puts Ericsson, Nokia on 5G Back Foot in Europe – Sources.)
The Chinese vendor is at risk of being excluded from some European markets because of government concerns that its equipment could include spyware used by Chinese authorities. (See Huawei Pledges $2B to Address Security Concerns, Appease the Brits, How the West Can Hurt Huawei and Where Huawei Fears to Tread.)
"That is a myth," said Bansal when quizzed on the issue of manpower at an Ericsson pre-MWC briefing event in London this week. "There are more than 35,000 people employed in Europe, which is by far the largest number in any region."