Germany has decided not to exclude Chinese tech giant Huawei from its 5G mobile networks, saying it wants to create “a level playing field” for vendors.
The United States has however banned Huawei from selling 5G equipment to its telecoms companies, stating that it contains a backdoor that would enable Chinese surveillance.
United Kingdom is expected to make a decision if it would allow the 5G equipment maker to roll out its components to build 5G infrastructure.
Huawei has welcomed Germany’s “fact and standards based approach”.
“Politicising cyber-security will only hinder technology development and social progress while doing nothing to address the security challenges all countries face. Huawei will continue to work openly with regulators, customers, and industry organisations to ensure that mobile networks are secure. Over the past 30 years, we have served more than three billion people around the world, and we have maintained a strong track record in security throughout,” Huawei said in a statement.
Most of the telecom firms in Germany use Huawei equipment for 5G, and any ban could delay roll out of 5G services and incur additional billions of dollars.