Germany aims to control not ban equipment vendors

Germany’s interior minister, Horst Seehofer, “has thrown his weight behind a proposal to reform Germany’s telecoms law to toughen security requirements on foreign network vendors”, reports Reuters, citing reports from the country. “Seehofer’s intervention increases the likelihood that Germany will tighten oversight over Huawei Technologies, sidestepping pressure from the United States to exclude the Chinese company from its market. Government and industry leaders want clarity on the ground rules before Germany embarks on the buildout of next-generation 5G mobile networks by auctioning spectrum in late March.” Seehofer’s aim is to better control Huawei, not to ban it, and “the best way to achieve this would be by amending an article in Germany’s Telecommunications Act that addresses security. This would apply to all vendors and should not be viewed as a direct response to Huawei… Seehofer’s view is key, because his ministry oversees the BSI cybersecurity agency that is drafting a catalogue of proposed security steps together with the Federal Network Regulator that will oversee the spectrum auction.” Chancellor Angela Merkel has said Germany needs guarantees that Huawei would not hand data to the Chinese state before it can take part in building 5G networks. Read more

• Tuesday, 19 February 2019