Report: Competition authority dealing with first case linked to Huawei bar

The Office for the Protection of Competition is investigating the first case relating to a bar on the use of Huawei products in the state infrastructure, the news site Neovlivní reported on Tuesday, citing a source close to the case. A spokesperson for the anti-trust authority said it would not comment.

At the start of this year the Ministry of Health banned the use of hardware, communications technology and software produced by Huawei and another Chinese firm, ZTE.

This followed a warning from the National Cyber and Security Information Agency. It said the companies represented a threat and should not have access to essential state infrastructure, including hospitals, transport and energy distribution.

Huawei then took a complaint against the Ministry of Health to the Office for the Protection of Competition over the company’s practical exclusion from a tender for an integrated system for regional hygiene centres.

Author: Ian Willoughby