BERLIN – Germany’s Interior Ministry plans to force telecom operators to reduce the use of equipment from Huawei and ZTE in their 5G networks after an audit highlighted an over-reliance on these Chinese suppliers, an unnamed government official said.
The ministry has devised a phased approach and avoids major disruption so that operators remove all critical components from Chinese manufacturers in their 5G core networks by 2026, the same source added, Reuters reported.
Operators such as Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone are also expected to reduce the share of Chinese components in their RAN and transport networks to a maximum of 25 percent by Oct. 1, 2026, said the official, who declined to be named.
Huawei currently accounts for 59 percent of Germany’s 5G RAN network, according to research conducted by telecommunications consultancy Strand Consult.
In particularly sensitive regions, such as the capital Berlin, where the federal government is located, Chinese technology should not be used
in general, the official pointed out, reports Tanjug.
