Germany to remove components made by Huawei and ZTE from 5G core network

The German government has agreed to remove key components from Huawei and ZTE from its 5G core network by the end of 2026, citing national security concerns.

According to Bloomberg, German Interior Minister Fesser announced in an agreement on Thursday (July 11, 2024) that German telecommunications companies must remove all components of Huawei and ZTE from 5G and transportation networks by the end of 2029. Fesser said that Berlin has notified Beijing about the above agreement, and she does not think China will take any countermeasures.

Fesser told reporters in Berlin that day: "We have reached a clear and strict agreement with Deutsche Telekom," and said that this agreement provides key guarantees for digital security for Germany, Europe's largest economy.

Previously, the German Ministry of the Interior reached the above agreement after consultations with Deutsche Telekom AG, Vodafone and Telefonica's German subsidiaries, aiming to protect Germany's critical infrastructure from potential security risks posed by China.

In response, the Chinese Embassy in Germany criticized the EU for discriminating against foreign companies with unfounded potential security risks.