Cybersecurity Act: Network operators sharply criticize Huawei ban

This would significantly exacerbate the situation for European network operators. And not just for them: mobile operators are by no means the only ones using products from these Chinese manufacturers. Products from these companies are also in use in other critical areas such as railways, the energy sector, or urban networks. Furthermore, Huawei is the global market leader in inverters for solar systems.

We warn against measures that would significantly weaken the very sector they are intended to protect," reads a statement from the association Connect Europe, which primarily represents formerly state-owned network operators such as Telekom, Orange, and Telefónica.

Blanket interventions in the supply chain would "significantly and adversely affect network expansion, operational continuity, and investment planning," the association warns and already calls for "mitigating measures such as cost reimbursement mechanisms" in advance. In principle, measures must be "risk-based, proportionate, and practicable."