- Europe’s removal of Huawei/ZTE networks hasn’t been an entire success
- Some countries have even opposed bans on Chinese equipment
- Western companies struggle to compete on pricing
The European Commission is looking to go further on its bid to remove Huawei and ZTE telecoms networks from its member states.
Vice President Henna Virkkunen has tabled a proposal to make 2020 5G cybersecurity toolbox recommendations legally binding, and could extend beyond just mobile networks to include fixed-line broadband and fibre networks in EU member countries, too.
Thedevelopment comes despite many countries having already enacted such changes – Sweden banned Huawei and ZTE from its 5G networks in 2020, the UK has done the same, and Germany plans a removal from 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’s 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 enforced, with the removal of existing equipment mandated by 2027.
“We must have confidence in the security of our phone and internet networks which underpin so much about our economy and everyday lives,” former Digital Secretary Michelle Donelan commented.
Beyond existing bans, Italy also reviews deals with Chinese firms individually, while Spain and Italy still allow the company to operate within its networks. Slovenia took this one step further, by rejecting a bill that would exclude high-risk vendors.
Traditional Western rivals such as Nokia and Ericsson have struggled to compete on price against Chinese firms due to the way they get partial funding from state backing.
This state backing has some policymakers concerns about potential 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 discussion seems to have reopened about this topic following a clear divide in national approaches rather than unified European collaboration.
Via Bloomberg
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