Germany to exclude Huawei, ZTE-made components from 5G network

German Interior Minister Nancy Feser announced on July 11 that components manufactured by China's Huawei and ZTE will be phased out of the country's 5G network, citing security concerns. Similar measures have already been taken by the U.S., the U.K., Japan, Canada, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries, and Germany was noted as being "behind the EU in security measures for 5G networks.

The new decision was reached after negotiations between the government and the country's three major telecom operators, Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, and Telefonica Deutschland. The country's telecom operators must stop using their components in the 5G "core network" by the end of 2026, and eliminate them from the "access and transport network," which includes power lines and towers, by the end of 2029.

In a statement, Interior Minister Feser commented that "5G networks are an important part of Germany's infrastructure and critical for the functioning of various sectors, from healthcare to transport to energy," and that "unlike in the past, we must reduce security risks and avoid unilateral dependency." ...

The Chinese government, on the other hand, commented on the decision, saying that there is no evidence that Huawei and others are threatening national security, and that the German government should evaluate providers of 5G technology without political considerations.

Materials

• Germany to phase out Chinese components in 5G networks
• Germany to bar Chinese companies' components from core parts of its 5G networks
• Germany to phase out Huawei, ZTE components from its 5G core network
• Germany moves to ban China's Huawei, ZTE from its 5G network