UPDATE 1-Norway will not ban Huawei from 5G mobile network -minister

Norway does not plan to block China's Huawei Technologies from building the country's 5G telecoms network, cabinet minister Nikolai Astrup told Reuters. The decision could put Norway at odds with NATO ally the United States, which had been pushing the Nordic country to stop Huawei from building its 5G network.

"That is not an option being discussed," cabinet minister Nikolai Astrup said in an interview. "We have a good dialogue with the companies on security, and then it is up to the companies themselves to choose suppliers. We haven't got any bans against any suppliers in Norway."

Telenor, Norway's largest telecoms provider, plans to pick 5G technology suppliers this year to prepare for commercial rollout in 2020. "We are talking to everybody, everyone is in the process, and we will have to see what we choose in the end. We continue to have a good dialogue with the government," said Petter-Boerre Furberg, who heads Telenor's domestic operation.

"We are running a process that is open to all partners."

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