Thailand's AIS says Huawei among five companies tendering to build 5G core networks

By Patpicha Tanakasempipat

 

FILE PHOTO: The logo of the Advance Info Service Public Company Limited is pictured at its office building in central Bangkok, Thailand, March 11, 2016. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's Advanced Info Service Pcl <ADVANC.BK> said on Tuesday Huawei Technologies is among five companies tendering to build its 5G core networks.

 

AIS' disclosure came as the UK government ordered Huawei equipment to be purged completely from the country's 5G network by 2027 amid U.S. calls on its allies to exclude the Chinese company from their networks on security grounds.

 

Thailand, the United States' oldest ally in Asia, has said it would not exclude Chinese vendors from building its 5G infrastructure but would stay mindful of any security issues.

 

AIS, Thailand's largest mobile operator, is near the final stage of selecting vendors, which now include the world's biggest telecoms equipment maker Huawei, Ericsson <ERICb.ST>, Nokia <NOKIA.HE>, ZTE <000063.SZ> and Samsung <005930.KS>, said the company's president Hui Weng Cheong.

 

"We are in the process of selecting vendors for the proper 5G core networks, both the Chinese and the Europeans," said Hui, naming the five companies in a briefing.

 

"When we do anything, we send our request for proposals to all five, because we don't want to pre-select," he said.

 

Hui's comment came after AIS announced last week a partnership with Huawei to sell 5G smartphones by the Chinese company.

 

Huawei has repeatedly denied U.S.-led allegations that its equipment could be used by Beijing for spying.

 

Hui said AIS, which won 23 5G spectrum licenses in February auctions, is aware of the U.S. allegations around the Chinese company but it will protect itself.

 

"Those claims are not proven ... but when we use the Chinese vendors, we'll also have very important clauses specifying what they shouldn't do, to protect ourselves," he said.

 

Last year, Huawei set up a 5G testbed in Thailand, its first in Southeast Asia.

 

Last month, Singapore's biggest telecoms operators said they had selected Nokia and Ericsson <ERICb.ST> over Huawei to build the 5G core networks.

 

Singapore Telecommunications <STEL.SI>, which has stakes in AIS, said it had selected Ericsson to negotiate the provision of core and other networks.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-07-14

 

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AIS decision and contract with Huawei is definitely not due to the Chinese Company President. 

 

Sino-Thai all the way 

 

 

Edited July 14, 20205 yr by Patts

horrible news. 

54 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

"Those claims are not proven ... but when we use the Chinese vendors, we'll also have very important clauses specifying what they shouldn't do, to protect ourselves," he said.

How naive.

Huawei has today been removed from the UK 5g project 6 months after being given a role in the construction for the UK.

It’s time to start learning Chinese. 

They lost the UK gig so I suppose they have to go somewhere.

Where better than a country that thinks the sun shines out of China's backside.

2 hours ago, Patts said:

AIS decision and contract with Huawei is definitely not due to the Chinese Company President. 

 

Sino-Thai all the way 

 

 

 

He is Singaporean and trust me Singtel (Government owned GLC) in Singapore dumped Huawei and on the end the deal goes to Samsung and Ericsson. As for the handsets of Singtel Huawei can get them. Its all about geo politics and Singapore government has always been on the side of the winners and China can't win it.

 

Singtel also has shares in many other mobile operators including Airtel in India, Telkomsel in Indonesia and they both move towards the West. As for Thailand's CP Group that owns True Mobile will use Huawei for sure as otherwise their business in China will be dead. DTAC which is owned in part by Telenor will use Ericson and Nokia. Thailand has been long time close to the West but you can say they are part of the Chinese group since Prayuth came to power. 

 

The next two years will be interesting but countries like Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Laos are already in the bed with China and Thailand got to be very careful on their next move. 

 

 

5 hours ago, rob63 said:

Thailand is better off going with the Chinese instead of any American affiliated country. USA DEFINITELY spies on it's citizens. In fact it's illegal for USA to spy on it's citizens, so it has reciprocal agreements with other countries to spy on Americans and then forward the relevant information. I am far more comfortable with Chinese 5g equipment.

Quite right, The U.S. were caught spying on the phone calls of the British and German PMs in the past. On top of that the Chinese were using American specialists chips which are still in the U.S. made systems that would allow the CIA and its' friends to spy. The British taxpayer now has to fork out 1.5 Billion pounds to replace the cheaper Huawei systems. The U.K. has become a vassal state of the United States of Trumpland.

 

5 hours ago, rob63 said:

Thailand is better off going with the Chinese instead of any American affiliated country. USA DEFINITELY spies on it's citizens. In fact it's illegal for USA to spy on it's citizens, so it has reciprocal agreements with other countries to spy on Americans and then forward the relevant information. I am far more comfortable with Chinese 5g equipment.

Them instead of USA, that's not the question.

The real question is, do you want their spyware and backdoors in the infrastructure that you use for all your communications? Remembering that this gives them access to EVERYTHING that you read and write, they have just introduced harsh national security laws, AND thailand has an extradition agreement with them!

Uhh... build the AIS 5G network? Then why is Lisa Blackpink on TV multiple times every night, shouting at me that it's already here?

 

"THE FUTURE IS YOURS!"

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

"When we do anything, we send our request for proposals to all five, because we don't want to pre-select," he said.

I do believe someone is telling porky pies .................LOL

Can't imagine Uncle Prayut biting the hand that feeds him.....

On 7/14/2020 at 6:33 AM, snoop1130 said:

Huawei has repeatedly denied U.S.-led allegations that its equipment could be used by Beijing for spying.

 

Is there a technical explanation for this ?  If Huaweis equipment can be used for spying , exactly how is it done ?

3 hours ago, ThaiSydGuy said:

Them instead of USA, that's not the question.

The real question is, do you want their spyware and backdoors in the infrastructure that you use for all your communications? Remembering that this gives them access to EVERYTHING that you read and write, they have just introduced harsh national security laws, AND thailand has an extradition agreement with them!

And you think the US does not do this. Hope you do not use Microsoft, Google, Facebook etc.

Let them in the Chinese, you're welcome in LOS,

but I'm not so sure how long they will smile in the future.

1 hour ago, trucking said:

 

Is there a technical explanation for this ?  If Huaweis equipment can be used for spying , exactly how is it done ?

I believe under Chinese law if the Communist Party government demands they hand over transmission Data they are have to do it by Law and keep it Secret.
Which is a security threat.

It's somehow part owned or run by the Communist Party.

Edited July 15, 20205 yr by DirtyHarry55

11 hours ago, MobileContent said:

 

He is Singaporean and trust me Singtel (Government owned GLC) in Singapore dumped Huawei and on the end the deal goes to Samsung and Ericsson. As for the handsets of Singtel Huawei can get them. Its all about geo politics and Singapore government has always been on the side of the winners and China can't win it.

 

Singtel also has shares in many other mobile operators including Airtel in India, Telkomsel in Indonesia and they both move towards the West. As for Thailand's CP Group that owns True Mobile will use Huawei for sure as otherwise their business in China will be dead. DTAC which is owned in part by Telenor will use Ericson and Nokia. Thailand has been long time close to the West but you can say they are part of the Chinese group since Prayuth came to power. 

 

The next two years will be interesting but countries like Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Laos are already in the bed with China and Thailand got to be very careful on their next move. 

 

 

You forget Thaksin has his roots in China.

4 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

You forget Thaksin has his roots in China.

Makes it sound like he's gone to have his hair dyed.

4 hours ago, ThaiSydGuy said:

Them instead of USA, that's not the question.

The real question is, do you want their spyware and backdoors in the infrastructure that you use for all your communications? Remembering that this gives them access to EVERYTHING that you read and write, they have just introduced harsh national security laws, AND thailand has an extradition agreement with them!

USA does the same thing

Is it just me, but like Microsoft Updates, you get them but never get that Well theres an improvement. Our phones are just the sames as day one to me.

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

but when we use the Chinese vendors, we'll also have very important clauses specifying what they shouldn't do, to protect ourselves," he said.

           Absolutely worthless where China is concerned.

 

    If I had any secrets, I would rather the US read them than China. The US is more interested in World security, than the Chinese ever have.

5 hours ago, ThaiSydGuy said:

Them instead of USA, that's not the question.

The real question is, do you want their spyware and backdoors in the infrastructure that you use for all your communications? Remembering that this gives them access to EVERYTHING that you read and write, they have just introduced harsh national security laws, AND thailand has an extradition agreement with them!

Remember that all data and voice is long time recorded and filtered in US , just the same like it is done in China ( well in China , idk worldwide , but i guess it's the same) . For US this is known because it was released by Snowden . The way US is behaving ( the leaders ) , i rather take my chance with the Chinese . I like Asian more then US .

8 minutes ago, grumpy 4680 said:

           Absolutely worthless where China is concerned.

 

    If I had any secrets, I would rather the US read them than China. The US is more interested in World security, than the Chinese ever have.

US and world security ? No country has gone fighting more then US , creating havoc everywhere and on all occasions nothing to do with world security , but rather with financial benefits . The Chinese so far have not been in any war in recent history .

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

but when we use the Chinese vendors, we'll also have very important clauses specifying what they shouldn't do, to protect ourselves," he said.

sure, we will believe you that Chinese will respect your clauses request 555

3 hours ago, trucking said:

If Huaweis equipment can be used for spying , exactly how is it done ?

I they told you that it wouldn't be spying would it?

15 hours ago, Malawi said:

They lost the UK gig so I suppose they have to go somewhere.

Where better than a country that thinks the sun shines out of China's backside.

It won't matter to the Chinese, the UK have to pander to their long time allies whims across the pond no matter what.

 

Fact:

Huawei employs 180,000 people in more than 170 countries. They are a market leader in China and many countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa.

The US has been way behind the curve on 5G due to the lack of spending on R & D and infrastructure. So, they are engaging in sabotage with their nemesis. That is all this is about. 

For the UK, maybe it's a case of better the devil you know????

 

 

18 hours ago, Patts said:

AIS decision and contract with Huawei is definitely not due to the Chinese Company President. 

 

Sino-Thai all the way 

AIS does not have a contract with Huawei for this project.

 

Thaivisa-posters-not-paying-attention all the way!