FILE PHOTO: A logo of the upcoming mobile standard 5G is pictured in Hanover, Germany March 31, 2019. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer/File Photo
(Reuters) – Hutchison Telecommunications (Australia) Ltd said on Monday its broadband services joint venture with Vodafone had partnered with Nokia to roll out 5G services in Australia.
In a statement, Hutchison said Vodafone Hutchison Australia, the 50-50 joint venture, would kick off its 5G rollout in the first half of 2020 with Nokia as the network vendor.
The partnership was the final step in a long process, it said, following the security guidance given by the country’s federal government in August 2018.
Australia expanded its national security rules to exclude telecommunication equipment suppliers that it believes have ties to foreign governments, a move that disallowed Huawei Technologies Co Ltd from the country’s 5G rollout.
Reporting by Rashmi Ashok in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Cooney