5G networks: Federal government and network operators agree to exclude Huawei

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The German government and mobile network operators have agreed on a procedure for removing technology from Chinese providers such as Huawei from critical areas of the networks in future. Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) presented the framework conditions of the agreement with the network operators on Thursday, confirming reports of the agreement from Wednesday.

"We have now reached a clear and strict agreement with the companies," said Faeser at midday in Berlin. This is based on public law contracts with the companies. According to these, the core networks of mobile phone providers are to be free of Chinese components by 2026. By 2029, "critical functions of the 5G network management systems" from Huawei are also to be replaced. This is the software that controls the operation of antennas and base stations in the wireless network.

Components in the wireless network

In fact, Huawei technology already plays hardly any role in the core networks of the three established mobile operators. Telekom, Vodafone and Telefónica began replacing Huawei technology in their core networks years ago. The newcomer 1&1 does not use any Huawei components. ZTE is not represented in the German networks.

"These were not easy negotiations, as such a contract deeply interferes with business and technological matters," explains a Deutsche Telekom spokesperson. Telefónica Deutschland welcomes the fact that there is now clarity and speaks of a "close alliance between the state and industry", which will ensure secure and "even more resilient networks".

For mobile network operators, the end of Huawei's contract primarily means changes to the software: all operators have committed to replacing the previous proprietary software for controlling and configuring the transport and antenna network with software from a third-party manufacturer. "Deutsche Telekom is already working on the development of corresponding software," according to the company's headquarters in Bonn. It has therefore also suggested to the German government that alternative software should at least allow the antennas already installed to continue to be used.

However, this will only work if Huawei cooperates and opens up the interfaces of its previously proprietary technology - which is currently still completely unclear. "We will continue to work constructively and openly with our partners and customers to jointly achieve improvements and progress in the area of cyber security and to accelerate the development of mobile networks and digitalization in Germany," a Huawei spokesperson explained. "We will be able to comment on further issues after a more detailed assessment of the agreement that has now been reached."

Huawei: Security risk not proven

The public law contracts also mark the end of the testing procedure for the critical components in the mobile network, which was initiated by the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) in accordance with Section 9b of the BSI Act. This means that the BMI, as the testing authority, could have issued an order prohibiting the use of critical components. This is no longer the case due to the contracts; the review process has been officially concluded.

Faeser emphasizes that neither she nor her office have spoken to Huawei about the facts of the case due to these ongoing proceedings. The Minister does not wish to provide any information on the specific results of the investigation. However, government circles have been saying for some time that no potential kill switch or other sabotage or espionage precautions have been found. Rather, the medium-term reliability was questioned.

Huawei also criticized that there was "no comprehensible evidence or plausible scenarios" that Huawei's solutions would pose a risk "in any way". "Over the past 20 years, Huawei Germany has established itself as a reliable supplier of innovative and secure telecommunications technologies in Germany," said a spokesperson

Wissing is pleased, criticism from the Bundestag

Federal Digital Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) was pleased with the agreement, saying that "security concerns had been taken seriously and at the same time economic realities had not been lost sight of". "With the agreed transition periods, we are giving the network operators the time they need for an orderly changeover. This will allow us to increase the security of our critical infrastructure without jeopardizing the urgently needed network expansion."

Clear criticism of the now contractually fixed timetables comes from CDU foreign policy expert Norbert Röttgen. He sees the agreement as a retreat from the interests of mobile network operators: "The companies have not been able to invoke the protection of legitimate expectations since the IT Security Act was passed in 2021. Since then, they have installed every single Chinese 5G product completely at their own risk," Röttgen emphasized to heise online. "This behaviour is now being rewarded by the federal government at the expense of our security."

The Chairman of the Parliamentary Control Committee for the Intelligence Services also criticized the timetable that has now been agreed. "Five years is simply an extremely long time, especially in view of what has happened in terms of security policy over the past two years," says Green Party interior politician Konstantin von Notz.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser does not dispute this - she points out that the agreement was also coordinated with the Green Foreign Minister and the Green Economics Minister. For the Interior Minister, the focus is on something else: "There will be no consequences for citizens, which was also very important to the Federal Chancellor."

(mma)