- Germany excludes Huawei and ZTE from the future 6G network for security reasons.
- 5G timeline: no Chinese suppliers in the core by 2026 and key replacements before 2029.
- Berlin is considering public funding for equipment replacement; the EU is preparing binding restrictions.
- Spain lags behind: high use of Chinese technology and estimated costs of up to 4.000 billion.
Germany has drawn a red line for 6G even before the technology is finalized: There will be no Chinese components in its future network.The measure, announced by the chancellor at a business forum in Berlin, It seeks to safeguard national security and avoid repeating the headaches left by 5G.
The shift is not limited to 6G. The government has a plan underway for phase out Huawei and ZTE equipment of 5G infrastructure, with a view to supporting operators with public funds if necessary. And, despite the tightening of regulations, Berlin insists it is not seeking a global trade rupture with China.
What has Berlin decided?
The German government has been unequivocal: The 6G network will not integrate components of Chinese origin.The commercial rollout of 6G is expected sometime in the next decade, and Germany wants to set the rules in advance to avoid critical dependencies on an infrastructure that will be even more sensitive than the current 5G.
Meanwhile, the chancellor indicated that "whenever possible" they will be replaced 5G components are being replaced by European or trusted alternatives. The intention is to strengthen digital sovereignty without closing the door to economic cooperation in other sectors.
5G Decommissioning Schedule and Costs
The framework is already defined: starting in 2026 There can be no Chinese suppliers in the core of the 5G networks, and critical elements must be replaced before the end of 2029. This affects the country's major operators, such as Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone and O2-Telefónica.
According to Bloomberg, the German government is considering using public funding to accelerate These changes, with a figure of around €2.000 billion on the table, have prompted industry warnings that removing installed equipment will entail significant costs and potential service delays.
- 2026: end of Chinese suppliers in the 5G core.
- End of 2029: replacement of critical components in 5G.
- Next decade6G launch without Chinese technology.
Legal changes and supervision in Germany
The main political forces have reached an agreement toughen the BSI Act so that the Ministry of the Interior can unilaterally veto equipment considered to be at risk, simplifying a process that previously required the approval of several ministries.
Furthermore, the regulator (Bundesnetzagentur) has updated its assessment of critical components and now includes cell phone antennas as essential infrastructure. With this criterion, the exclusion of certain providers could be expedited.
Cooperation with France and new initiatives
The bilateral agenda highlights a boost to Franco-German cooperation in digital sovereignty. The chancellor will take the matter to a summit with President Emmanuel Macron to strengthen supply chains and reduce dependencies, also with respect to large non-European technology companies.
Also on the table is the Komet project, a tender planned for the first half of 2026 that It will utilize approximately 90.000 sites radio access from the three major operators, with the idea of accelerating the transition away from providers categorized as high risk.
The EU is tightening the screws: from recommendation to obligation
Brussels is considering moving from the 5G Toolbox recommendations to legally binding restrictions For high-risk providers, with the possibility of sanctioning states that do not implement the framework. Extending the scope of the ban to fixed fiber optic networks and backbones is also being considered.
Community sources have argued that the priority is the digital ecosystem security European; however, the operators point out that the replacement raises costs and can slow down deployments, and that Chinese equipment has often been more competitive in price and performance.
Spain, the unique case and the economic impact
While Germany accelerates, Spain maintains a more cautious stanceThis is something the EU is observing with concern. According to EU sources cited by The Objective, Spain continues to award contracts to Huawei, even in sensitive sectors. Meanwhile, the Commission is considering mechanisms to standardize the response across all member states.
Should a total ban in Europe succeed, the cost to the Spanish sector could be around the 4.000 million eurosAccording to estimates published by Expansión, Telefónica does not use Huawei 5G radio in Spain (or the UK), but maintains a presence of the manufacturer in part of the residential core network and in fiber optic and transport equipment.
For Vodafone Spain, the situation is more complex: approximately the 70% of its radio network It relies on Huawei technology. In the case of MásOrange, an agreement has been reached to reduce the Chinese supplier's presence to approximately 39% of the 5G network by 2027. Among medium and small operators, the penetration of Chinese equipment is higher, also in wholesale fiber networks.
Winners, risks and the trade balance
The reconfiguration of the European market would benefit manufacturers such as Nokia and Ericssonwhich the EU sees as key players in strengthening local industry. However, precedents such as the case of Sweden show that veto decisions, such as the US ban on Huawei, can carry trade retaliation in third countries.
Berlin insists on avoiding a a break with China beyond technologyHowever, businesses are warned of the risks of concentrating on a single supplier. The key is to diversify without hindering competitiveness or compromising service quality.
The German decision sets the pace in Europe: 6G without Huawei and stricter 5GPublic support for replacement when necessary, legal changes simplifying vetoes, and a push from the European Union to turn recommendations into obligations. Spain faces this debate with significant exposure to Chinese technology and potentially high costs, in an environment where security is increasingly outweighing price or speed of deployment.
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