This step aims to enhance security by reducing reliance on Chinese-made technology. Network operators, including Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, and Telefonica Deutschland, will initially eliminate technology from companies such as Huawei and ZTE in the core 5G data centers by 2026.

A final agreement has not yet been signed. In the second phase, Chinese manufacturers’ parts for antennas, transmission lines, and towers will be almost entirely phased out by 2029. Germany’s interior ministry has confirmed ongoing discussions with mobile carriers, emphasising the importance of national security strategy and risk reduction.

 Although Germany has been criticised for lagging behind in implementing EU security measures for 5G networks, it is now taking steps to address security concerns.

Telecom operators in the country have previously resisted costly efforts to phase out Huawei, while the company itself rejects the politicization of cybersecurity. Meanwhile, in the United States, approximately 40 per cent of telecom companies require additional government funding to remove Chinese-made equipment from wireless networks to address security risks.