- The elimination of Huawei/ZTE networks in Europe has not been a complete success
- Some countries have even opposed the ban on Chinese equipment.
- Western companies struggle to compete on price
The European Commission is seeking to go further in its attempt to remove Huawei and ZTE telecommunications networks from its member states.
Vice President Henna Virkkunen has put forward a proposal to make the 2020 5G Cybersecurity Toolbox recommendations legally binding, and could extend beyond mobile networks to also include fixed-line broadband and fiber networks in EU member countries.
The development comes even though many countries have already enacted such changes: Sweden banned Huawei and ZTE from its 5G networks in 2020, the United Kingdom followed suit, and Germany plans to eliminate its 5G core networks by 2026.
Could the EU ban Huawei/ZTE from 5G networks and beyond?
The UK has framed the removal of Huawei technology as a supply chain necessity: “the security of the company’s products… can no longer be managed due to the impact of US sanctions on its supply chain.”
In October 2022, an immediate ban on new Huawei 5G installations was imposed, and removal of existing equipment was mandatory by 2027.
“We must have confidence in the security of our telephone and internet networks, which underpin so much of our economy and our daily lives,” said former Digital Secretary Michelle Donelan.
Beyond existing bans, Italy is also reviewing agreements with Chinese companies individually, while Spain and Italy still allow the company to operate within their networks. Slovenia went a step further by rejecting a bill that would exclude high-risk suppliers.
Traditional Western rivals such as Nokia and Ericsson have struggled to compete on price with Chinese companies because of the way they obtain partial funding from state backing.
This state support worries some policymakers about possible espionage threats and other risks associated with ongoing geopolitical and technological battles.
The EU 5G Cybersecurity Toolbox was positioned as a framework of strategic and technical measures to strengthen network security in 2020, with recommendations including restrictions, installation bans and supplier diversification, but the debate appears to have reopened on this topic following a clear division in national approaches rather than a unified European collaboration.
Through Bloomberg
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