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5 years after Germany accused the US of spying on its senior politicians via its 4G mobile networks, Europe’s biggest economy is once again having to fend off unwanted attention from the US security forces
Germany’s Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has told the US that Germany will not be dictated to on 5G network security, following renewed pressure from the US for Germany to ban Chinese network equipment provider, Huawei, from its mobile network deployment.
The US has threatened to stop sharing security intelligence with countries who continue to use Huawei in their 5G network rollout. Despite the repeated threats from the US, both the UK and Germany have expressed a desire to continue working with the Chinese vendor, following years of successful collaboration on their 3G and 4G networks.
“Security, particularly when it comes to the expansion of the 5G network, but also elsewhere in the digital area, is a very important concern for the German government, so we are defining our standards for ourselves,” Merkel told reporters from Reuters.
“We will also discuss these questions with our partners in Europe, as well as the appropriate offices in the United States.”
As the US’ protracted trade war with China continues to rumble on, there appears to be little respite for Huawei, who has been forced to defend itself against a string of allegations about the security of its networks. Last week, US Ambassador, Richard Grenell, wrote to Germany’s Economy Minister, reiterating his country’s security concerns over Huawei’s role in building critical infrastructure. The US is yet to share any evidence to corroborate these claims with its European allies.
Also in the news:
Vodafone: Huawei ban would cost the UK its leadership position on 5G
Huawei CEO: Security allegations make us more determined to excel at 5G
