Is software from the Chinese Huawei group a threat to German mobile networks? The Ministry of the Interior sees “evidence” for this. The European Union is also stepping up the pace in dealing with technology from China.
In Germany, a possible ban on certain network components from the Chinese suppliers Huawei and ZTE in public 5G mobile networks is apparently approaching. “There are indications that their further use could probably affect public order or security in the Federal Republic,” a spokeswoman for the Federal Ministry of the Interior told the “Handelsblatt”.
As the “Spiegel” reports, a remote maintenance and control software from Huawei is in the sights of the authorities. According to the experts, this program could be used in extreme cases to manipulate or switch off the cell phone network. A decision should be made by the fall. If the federal government prohibits the use of the software, the Huawei base stations would also have to be replaced.
Appeal of the EU Commissioner
Last week, the EU Commission had already asked the countries of the European Union to better protect their 5G mobile networks against providers such as Huawei or ZTE, which they considered to be risky.
Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said the EU had managed to reduce dependencies in other sectors, such as energy, in record time. “With 5G it should be no different: we cannot afford to maintain critical dependencies that could become a ‘weapon’ against our interests.” According to the Brussels authority, Huawei and ZTE pose “significantly higher risks” than other providers of 5G network services.
allegations from the United States
In the “Handelsblatt”, the FDP digital politician Maximilian Funke-Kaiser called for the “fastest possible implementation” of the so-called fade-out clause “in order to initiate a planned, orderly exchange of critical components”. Politicians from the SPD and CDU are also campaigning for the expansion of components from unreliable suppliers.
The clause is intended to set a period of time during which critical components must be replaced by the mobile phone companies. The basis for this is the law on the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). Since spring, the supreme cyber security authority has been checking all security-relevant parts that are already installed in the network by the Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone and Telefónica groups.
The background to the planned measures is that the USA in particular accuses Huawei of having close ties to the Chinese government and has imposed sanctions on the company. Huawei denies the allegations. The UK and Canada have also enacted bans on their 5G networks, but EU member states have yet to come up with a unified approach.
reservations in digital ministry?
According to “Spiegel”, the interior and foreign ministries in the federal government are in favor of taking a tough stance on the Chinese company. The FDP-led digital ministry, on the other hand, has reservations because of the threat of billions in costs and possible claims for damages from telecom network operators.