Huawei signs deal to upgrade Portugal’s largest phone network Altice to 5G standard by 2019
- Altice, already a Huawei customer, will use the Chinese company’s hardware and software solutions in its 5G upgrade
Huawei Technologies has signed a memo-of-understanding to upgrade Portugal’s No 1 phone network into the 5G standard, giving the Chinese company another potential network client to extend its lead as the world’s largest maker of telecommunications equipment.
Unde the MoU, Huawei will supply the equipment and software for Altice Portugal to upgrade its network to support commercially applicable 5G standards by 2019, the Shenzhen-based gear maker said in a press statement.
The Altice MoU in Portugal is the latest in Huawei’s tally of 5G network clients – 14 in Europe, five in the Middle East and three in Asia – putting the Chinese company ahead of Nokia and Ericsson as the leading position as supplier of next-generation telecommunications technology.
Altice had been working with Huawei since 2016, with a network training programme for the development of a 5G ecosystem in Portugal.
“Huawei have been a trusted partner for Altice for many years, and we look forward to explore this revolutional new technology together for the benefit of our consumer and enterprise customers, as well as a way to promote new business models and services,” said Altice Portugal’s chief executive Alexandre Fonseca.