The German government announced Thursday that it has reached an agreement with major telecommunications companies to stop using critical components from Huawei and ZTE in their 5G mobile infrastructure within five years. This is the latest move by European countries to ban Chinese companies from critical communications infrastructure. .
“We are protecting the central nervous system of the German economy, and we are protecting the communications of our people, our businesses and our nation,” Interior Minister Nancy Feser said at a press conference in Berlin on Thursday.
The agreement with telecommunications companies Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone and Telefonica will be carried out in two stages. First, by the end of 2026, the use of key components made in China will be discontinued from the core components of domestic 5G networks. After that, components made by Chinese manufacturers will be phased out from antennas, power lines, and towers by the end of 2029. .
A Huawei spokesperson said in a statement that there is “no concrete evidence or scenario that Huawei’s technology poses any cybersecurity risks,” and that the company continues to “promote the construction and digitalization of mobile networks in Germany.” ” he added.
ZTE did not respond to a request for comment.
Germany, which accounts for about a quarter of the European Union’s mobile phone customers, is highly dependent on China’s export market and has long delayed taking such drastic action against Chinese companies. Instead, we chose to certify components based on case-by-case security checks.
Other European countries, including the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, have already imposed bans on Huawei and ZTE parts. The United States has restricted the use of Huawei equipment since at least 2019.
In presenting the deal, Feser reiterated that it was based on negotiations with German telecommunications providers. These providers have long argued that switching away from Huawei and ZTE components too soon would be complicated and expensive.
The issue of banning Huawei and ZTE from Germany’s mobile infrastructure has been discussed in Berlin since the previous government of Chancellor Angela Merkel, but Feser said Thursday’s decision was taken after an extensive security assessment. said.
“The current threat landscape highlights the importance of secure and resilient communications infrastructure, especially given the risks of sabotage and espionage,” she said.
adam satagliano I contributed a report from London.
