Will Huawei woes impact 5G launch in France? Regulator brushes off concerns

France will launch the deployment of its 5G network as planned in 2020 despite current difficulties faced by China's Huawei which could push some telecoms operators to modify their source of supply, the telecoms regulator said Tuesday.

"For me it will have a limited impact," the head of France's Arcep Sebastian Soriano, told journalists and analysts in Paris, adding that no French telecom operator depended solely on Huawei equipment for major cities' network coverage. "We are aiming for a commercial launch of 5G in 2020," he reiterated, adding that Arcep would be lenient on operators who will decide to change equipment provider.