Kathmandu- Huawei, the Chinese technology giant that already dominates Nepal Telecom's core system and is now eyeing its billing system.

Overlooking  a Supreme Court order to avoid monopoly and safeguard user privacy, Nepal Telecom has issued  a tender in favor of Huawei.

A joint bench of judges Justices Dr. Nahakul Subedi and Mahesh Sharma Paudel had stated that the upcoming procurements must provide fair competition, eliminate conflict of interest, and safeguard user information. The court dismissed a petition by Advocate Rita Karki but insisted on protection.

But the latest tender appears to put such issues aside. If awarded to Huawei, it would make it more dominant over Nepal's telecom infrastructure, raising security issues. The Nepal Telecommunications Authority previously warned that allowing Huawei control over billing could enable vendors to manipulate, thereby making the entire system insecure.

Moreover, the tender’s hardware specifications have been downgraded to align with Huawei’s older technology. While the current system runs on Intel’s 2.4 GHz and RISC-V GHz hardware, the new requirements limit both to just 2.4 GHz, ignoring the industry’s shift to 2.7 GHz.

Due to sanctions from the U.S. and Europe, Huawei has not had access to new telecom equipment since 2019. By setting specifications that match Huawei’s older hardware, the tender appears designed to give the company an advantage.

Biznessnews has previously reported on these risks, yet Nepal Telecom proceeds undeterred. If Huawei secures the billing system, it could further cement its dominance at the cost of competition and security.