Germany planning to ban China’s Huawei and ZTE from parts of 5G networks, report says
- The ban could include components already built into the networks, requiring operators to remove and replace them, according to local media
- The German government is currently in the midst of a broader re-evaluation of its relationship with top trade partner China
Germany’s government is planning on forbidding telecommunications operators from using certain components from Chinese companies Huawei Technologies Co and ZTE Corp in their 5G mobile networks, German paper Zeit Online wrote on Monday.
The ban could include components already built into the networks, requiring operators to remove and replace them, Zeit Online wrote, citing government sources.
The government, which is currently in the midst of a broader re-evaluation of its relationship with top trade partner China, did not immediately reply to a request for comment. A source, however, confirmed the report to Reuters.
Critics of Huawei and ZTE say that their close links to China’s security services mean that embedding it in the ubiquitous mobile networks of the future could give Chinese spies and even saboteurs access to swathes of essential infrastructure.
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Canada bans Huawei and ZTE 5G equipment, orders removal by 2024
Huawei, ZTE and the Chinese government reject these claims, saying that they are motivated by a protectionist desire to support non-Chinese rivals.
