SoftBank Group’s Japanese telecom unit selected Nokia Oyj and Ericsson AB as vendors for its next-generation wireless network, excluding long-time supplier Huawei Technologies Co, reported Bloomberg.
SoftBank named Nokia as a strategic partner for its 5G rollout and Ericsson as a supplier of radio access network equipment. Huawei, along with ZTE Corp., was previously a 4G vendor for the Japanese company but wasn’t selected this round despite participating in earlier 5G trials.
Japan has said it will exclude equipment that carry security risks, without making an official decision on Huawei.