Swedish regulators on Tuesday banned the use of telecom equipment from China's Huawei and ZTE in its 5G network ahead of the spectrum auction scheduled for next month.
The Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) said the setting of the licence conditions followed assessments by the Swedish Armed Forces and security service.
European governments have been reviewing the role of Chinese companies in building their networks following pressure from the United States, which says they pose a security threat because, among other concerns, Chinese companies and citizens must by law aid the state in intelligence gathering.
Sweden's security service called China "one of the biggest threats against Sweden".
The United Kingdom in July ordered information technology vs computer science equipment to be purged completely from Britain's 5G network by 2027, becoming one of the first European countries to do so.
Huawei and ZTE did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the decision by Sweden, home to Ericsson, one of Europe's leading telecoms equipment suppliers.
"The ban leaves network operators with less options and risks slowing the rollout of 5G in markets where competition is reduced," said Ben Wood, chief of research at CCS Insight.
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