MasOrange, Spain's largest mobile operator by number of customers, has redefined its mobile network strategy and could look to new hardware providers.
Until now, the company had been proceeding according to the agreement signed in 2024, which established a first phase—through 2027—to phase out ZTE equipment and reduce Huawei’s presence in favor of Ericsson, reports Expansión.
The plan called for Huawei’s share of radio nodes to drop from 54 percent to 37 percent and for Ericsson’s share to rise from 42 percent to 63 percent. ZTE, with a four percent share of the network completely phased out.
As of today, that phase has been partially implemented, and the actual market shares stand at 57 percent for Ericsson and 43 percent for Huawei.
The reevaluation comes amid increased regulatory pressure on Chinese suppliers, driven by the proposed European cybersecurity law. The second phase of the agreement—which would allow Ericsson to completely replace Huawei and become the sole supplier—is now in doubt.
