Germany wants carriers to reduce use of Chinese equipment

The ministry has designed an approach to avoid undue disruption by removing all critical components from Chinese manufacturers from its 5G core network by 2026, the official said. Telecoms companies such as Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone should also reduce the proportion of Chinese components in their RAN networks to a maximum of 25% by October 1, 2026.

According to a survey by telecommunications consultancy Strand Consult, Huawei currently accounts for 59% of Germany's 5G RAN network.

The German Interior Ministry wants network operators to reduce the use of Chinese equipment such as Huawei and ZTE in 5G networks. (Photo: Reuters).

In particularly sensitive areas such as the capital Berlin, where the federal government is located, Chinese technology should not be used, Reuters quoted an unnamed official as saying.

The Home Ministry wants to submit the plan to the cabinet next week but may face opposition from the Digital Affairs Ministry due to concerns about affecting the country's already slow digitalisation process.

Germany is seen as a latecomer in implementing the EU’s security toolkit for 5G networks. The measures, agreed three years ago, are aimed at blocking the use of products and services from manufacturers the bloc considers “high risk,” including Huawei and ZTE, over concerns about the risk of sabotage or espionage. The two Chinese companies deny their equipment poses a risk.

In another development, Portugal’s telecoms regulator said it is working with telecoms operators to implement a high-level solution that essentially bans Chinese equipment from 5G mobile networks. While it did not mention Huawei by name, the move is a blow to the company’s efforts to join a standalone 5G network and expand its 4G contracts in Portugal.

In late August 2023, Huawei filed a lawsuit in the Lisbon court to challenge the CSSC cybersecurity council's decision and "protect its legitimate interests and legal rights according to law." The CSSC banned carriers from using Huawei equipment in their 5G networks.

Portugal's three major operators – Altice, NOS and Vodafone – have all said they will not use Huawei equipment in their 5G core networks.

(According to Reuters)

Huawei uses old memory technology on flagship Mate 60 Pro Huawei Technologies has used memory technology that has been released since at least 2021 on its latest Mate 60 Pro smartphone.

Source