Photo: Afghan National Police
The German Interior Ministry wants to ban essential equipment from Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE from the country’s 5G network. Bloomberg News reported this news based on an informed source. According to the source, different time frames for the ban are being considered, including starting in 2026.
Many Western countries have already banned the use of Huawei telecom equipment. For example, the Chinese company has been dealing with trade restrictions imposed by the United States since 2019. The US government accuses Huawei and other Chinese technology companies of enabling espionage through backdoors in their technology. Huawei has always denied these accusations.
Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan and Sweden have already banned or restricted the use of Huawei telecom equipment. In the Netherlands, Huawei no longer provides basic equipment for 5G networks.
The German ministry is still investigating the extent to which the country’s mobile networks rely on Huawei and ZTE equipment. A spokesman for the Ministry of Interior said that this investigation has not yet been completed, and discussions with other ministries involved in the decision are still ongoing.
Huawei said in response that the German investigation was “discriminatory” and not based on technical facts. The Chinese company warned that the ban would slow down digital transformation in Germany and lead to higher costs for consumers.
Germany has so far been more reluctant to implement the embargo on Chinese parts than some of its allies. For example, despite pressure from the Americans, the country chose to allow Huawei components when telecom companies like Deutsche Telekom began building their own 5G networks. However, the German government has since taken a tougher stance towards China and sought to reduce its dependence on individual countries in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
