2023-09-20 20:56:14
If Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) has her way, no critical components from Chinese suppliers should be found in German 5-G mobile networks from January 1, 2026. The components are to be completely banned in the so-called core network of Vodafone, Telefónica and Deutsche Telekom. This is not just about components that are newly installed, but also those that are already used in the providers’ networks.
In addition, the “structural dependence on components from the manufacturers Huawei and ZTE” in the access and transport network is to be reduced by October 1, 2026, government circles in Berlin said, only a quarter of the parts will then be allowed to come from the two Chinese manufacturers . According to the plan from the Federal Ministry of the Interior, special rules apply to Berlin and the Rhine and Ruhr, where providers are to be completely excluded in order to avoid risks for government bodies and the economy. It was less about worrying about espionage, it was said, than about avoiding dependencies.
John Strand from the Danish analyst firm Strand Consult describes Berlin’s announced steps as a turning point. Germany has apparently learned from the Nordstream 2 disaster and the devastating dependence of important parts of its domestic energy supply on Russia. When it comes to telecom networks, Berlin is now looking at the Chinese components used not only from a technical but also from a non-technical perspective. In other words: from a security policy perspective.
Need for coordination between ministries
In 2020, 57 percent of the parts of the so-called 4-G RAN (Radio Access Network) came from Chinese manufacturers. Two years later, 59 percent of the new 5-G networks in Germany are made up of components made in China – and that is not just a German problem. The rejection of Chinese providers from the United States is encouraged: The USA accuses Huawei and ZTE of having close ties to the Chinese government and has imposed sanctions on the companies. Huawei and ZTE always deny the allegations.
However, it has not yet been decided that an exclusion will occur; the Ministry of the Interior still has to coordinate with the other federal government departments. According to information from the FAZ, the affected network operators actually have until the end of the week to provide information about the proportion of Chinese suppliers in their networks, after a query from the Federal Ministry of the Interior.
The three network operators Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone and Telefónica were not enthusiastic about the government’s plans on Wednesday, although when asked, they all pointed out that they did not want to take part in speculation – an official statement is still pending. “Whatever a future decision by the federal government turns out to be, we will deal with it in detail in the interests of our shareholders,” said Telekom. The previous expansion was carried out on the basis of the valid legal situation and in close cooperation with the supervisory authorities.
“Learn from the experiences in other countries.”
“With a view to approval procedures, available capacities from alternative suppliers, available capacities from construction companies and the further expansion of mobile communications desired by customers and politicians, a target date for RAN replacement by 2026 is definitely unrealistic,” said the largest German mobile communications company. This is also evident in other countries; the exchange in the United Kingdom was originally planned for seven years, but an extension of up to ten years is now being debated.
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