The interior ministry in Berlin announced that components from Huawei and ZTE would be excluded from the “core” parts of Germany’s 5G mobile networks by the end of 2026
Germany has decided to phase out components from Chinese telecom giants Huawei and ZTE from its 5G networks. The decision, driven by national security concerns, aims to reduce the country’s economic reliance on Beijing, which some believe has made Germany vulnerable.
The interior ministry in Berlin announced that components from Huawei and ZTE would be excluded from the “core” parts of Germany’s 5G mobile networks by the end of 2026. For the broader 5G access and transmission infrastructure, these components must be replaced by the end of 2029.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser emphasised the importance of protecting Germany’s central business systems and the communication channels of its citizens, companies, and the state. She noted, “It is essential to minimise security risks and avoid one-sided dependencies, contrasting with past approaches.”
Agreements have been reached with major German 5G network operators, including Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, and Telefonica, to implement this ban. The government had hinted at this move as early as September last year, but the newly announced dates provide more time for companies to adapt.
When asked about potential retaliatory measures from China, Faeser remained non-committal but confirmed that Beijing had been notified about the bans. Her focus, she said, was on establishing regulations for telecommunications networks and critical infrastructure.
Authorities considered several factors when deciding on the ban, including whether manufacturers were under government control or involved in activities deemed harmful to Germany or other EU states. Germany has longstanding ties with China, with significant exports from German manufacturers to the Chinese market.
However, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted a reassessment of Europe’s dependencies, leading Germany to reduce its reliance on China. EU nations are growing wary of using technology from Huawei and other non-EU vendors due to potential non-compliance with EU data protection laws. The European Commission has identified Huawei and ZTE as potential risks and has urged member states to remove their equipment from mobile networks.
In the summer of 2020, the United Kingdom became the first European nation to explicitly prohibit Huawei from its 5G network infrastructure. Sweden followed, becoming the second European country and the first within the EU to exclude Huawei from nearly all components required for its 5G network.
The United States has also been urging action against Huawei, motivated by fears that the company might be used for Chinese espionage amid an ongoing technological feud with Beijing.