Germany, over the next five years, will gradually remove parts manufactured by Chinese firms Huawei and ZTE from its 5G wireless network.
In this way, we are safeguarding Germany’s central nerve systems as a business location— and we are safeguarding the communication of individuals, businesses, and the government, stated Interior Minister Nancy Faeser.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser confirms very soft ban of Huawei from Germany’s 5G networks:
– exclusion from the sensitive core network by end of 2026 (instead of end of 2025)
– ban from radio access networks such as antennas by the end of 2029 (instead of end of 2026) pic.twitter.com/95SzoHJKdU
— Hans von der Burchard (@vonderburchard) July 11, 2024
The German government also emphasized in the statement the significance of “secure and resilient telecommunications infrastructure,” taking into account the “dangers of sabotage and espionage.”
It added, “In order to avoid critical vulnerabilities and dependencies, trustworthy manufacturers must therefore be relied upon.”
By the end of 2026, mobile network providers such as Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom, and Telefonica have committed to removing components manufactured by Huawei and ZTE from their 5G “core networks,” which serve as control centers and are connected to the internet.
Furthermore, by the end of 2029, these elements have to be removed from “access and transport networks,” which include the actual 5G network infrastructure, such as transmission lines and towers.
The Chinese Embassy in Germany has promised to protect the interests of Chinese enterprises by taking “necessary measures” in the meantime.
Berlin’s action, according to a statement from the Chinese Embassy in this European country, “seriously damages mutual trust between the two sides, and will also affect future cooperation between China and Europe in related fields.”
The German move may further sour relations between the two countries. China criticized Germany this week for blocking the sale of a Volkswagen subsidiary to a state-owned Chinese company on national security grounds.
The European Union and China are embroiled in a trade dispute; in June, the EU raised duties on Chinese-made electric vehicles.
A spokeswoman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Thursday that “turning economic, trade, and technological issues into politics will only disrupt normal technological exchanges.”
Germany’s move follows the facto prohibition on the company’s construction of 5G networks by the US, UK, Australia, and Japan due to concerns that Beijing may employ Chinese tech companies to eavesdrop on their residents.
The US placed Huawei on its list of companies subject to trade restrictions earlier in 2019, which made it more difficult for the company to purchase semiconductor chips from US vendors.
Several other countries have taken similar actions to address security concerns related to Chinese telecom equipment manufacturers.
- United Kingdom: The UK has imposed restrictions on Huawei’s involvement in its 5G networks, with a phased removal of Huawei equipment by 2027.
- Australia: Australia banned Huawei and ZTE from its 5G networks in 2018 due to national security concerns.
- United States: The US has also restricted Huawei and ZTE’s participation in its telecommunications infrastructure. These decisions reflect global efforts to balance technological advancement with security considerations.
Germany’s decision to exclude Huawei and ZTE components from critical elements of its 5G networks is likely to have various repercussions for the country’s 5G rollout:
Security and Trust: By removing Chinese components, Germany hopes to improve the security and reliability of its 5G infrastructure. Concerns about potential backdoors or vulnerabilities in Chinese technology spurred this action.
Delays and Costs: Replacing old components with alternatives will take time and resources. Operators may experience deployment delays as they shift away from Huawei and ZTE equipment. Additionally, the expense of replacing infrastructure may be enormous.
