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Germany plans to ban telecom operators from using certain components made by Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE in 5G networks, a government source said, in a potentially significant move to address security concerns. The German ban could include components already integrated into networks, forcing operators to remove and replace them, German media reported on Monday, citing sources. An Interior Ministry spokesman confirmed that the German government, which is undergoing a broader reassessment of its relationship with China, its main trading partner, is conducting a general review of telecoms technology providers.
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However, no operator has yet been banned from using certain components from Chinese companies in their 5G networks, the spokesperson said.
“The main change is that these strict controls for potential security risks now also apply to existing components of telecom networks,” the spokesperson said, adding that operators would not be compensated for parts that had to be ripped off. from the network and replaced.
A Home Office document on the review obtained by Reuters said a specific supplier could be banned from supplying critical components if it is found to be directly or indirectly controlled by another state's government.
"It's a sign that the German government may finally be taking China-related national security risks seriously," said Noah Barkin, China practice editor at research firm Rhodium Group, who specializes in investigating the German-Chinese relations.
"But after years of faltering, the German 5G network is heavily dependent on Chinese providers. It will take many years to sort this out," Barkin added.
Critics of Huawei and ZTE say their close ties to Beijing's security services mean their integration into the ubiquitous mobile networks of the future could give Chinese spies and even saboteurs access to critical infrastructure.
Huawei, ZTE and the Chinese government reject the claims, saying they are motivated by a protectionist desire to back their non-Chinese rivals.
Un porte-parole de Huawei a declaré qu'il n'avait pas commenté les speculations et a declaré qu'il avait un "très bon bilan de sécurité" au cours de ses 20 années de fourniture de technologie à l'Allemagne et au reste of the world. A ZTE spokesman said no evidence had been presented to suggest its products were unsafe, but welcomed an external review.
When asked about the possible ban, two of Germany's main telecom operators, Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone Germany, said they were in full compliance with existing regulations, but did not respond to political speculation.
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Germany lags behind
While several countries in Europe are still shaping telecoms policies, only Britain and Sweden have so far banned Huawei and ZTE from supplying critical 5G network equipment.
“The devil is in the details, it would be a big step forward if it included all the access network components where Huawei has been overused by operators in recent years,” said Thorsten Benner, China expert and director of Global Public Berlin Institute of Politics.
Germany passed an IT security law in 2021, placing major hurdles on telecom equipment makers for next-generation networks, but stopping short of banning Huawei and ZTE as other countries have.
A new report shows that Germany has actually become even more dependent on Huawei for its 5G radio access network (RAN) equipment than for its 4G network, even as operators have eschewed using Huawei company technology. for core networks.
Last month, the German government was unable to respond to a parliamentary request about the number of Huawei component carriers used in its 5G networks, filed partly in response to the report.
"It's puzzling that the government is only now beginning to do extensive mapping of where carriers are using Huawei and ZTE components and don't have that information in real time," Benner said.
Swedish telecoms regulator PTS, which in 2020 banned Chinese companies from deploying 5G, has given telecom operators participating in 5G auctions until January 1, 2025 to remove Chinese equipment from their core infrastructure and functions.
Meanwhile, Britain wants telcos to phase out Huawei equipment and services in core network functions by December 31, 2023, up from the original target of January 28, 2023.
The deadline to remove all Huawei equipment from UK 5G networks by the end of 2027 remains unchanged.
