EXCLUSIVE-Orange venture in Belgium to replace Huawei mobile gear with Nokia kit - sources

Telecoms operators Orange Belgium and Proximus are poised to progressively replace Huawei-made mobile equipment in Belgium and Luxembourg with Nokia gear, two sources close to the matter said.

Telecoms operators Orange Belgium and Proximus are poised to progressively replace Huawei-made mobile equipment in Belgium and Luxembourg with Nokia gear, two sources close to the matter said. Orange's Belgian division and Proximus, which is majority-owned by the Belgian state, face heavy political pressure to shift from China's Huawei for the next generation of mobile internet, or 5G, following U.S. accusations that Huawei's gear could be used for spying by Beijing, the sources said.

China vehemently denies the accusations. Orange Belgium and Proximus, which have both partnered with Huawei, signed an agreement last year to share their mobile network. Orange declined to comment. Proximus did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday evening.