The European Union is continuing its efforts to ensure the secure deployment of 5G networks, as reflected in a progress report on the implementation of the EU toolkit published on Friday 24 July by Member States, with the support of the European Commission and the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA).
"Given the critical importance of 5G as the underlying infrastructure for future technologies, it must be able to be deployed quickly and securely in all Member States. Today's report shows that we are on the right track", commented German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Peter Altmaier, whose country currently holds the EU Council Presidency.
State of play on restrictions
This report examines how Member States apply the 5G Network Security Toolkit which recommends a risk-based approach and encourages a "multi-vendor" approach (see EUROPE 12414/7, 12222/23).
According to the document, fourteen Member States consider their exposure to high-risk suppliers to be "medium to high", while three countries consider their exposure to high-risk suppliers to be "low". Most Member States consider that they are not sufficiently prepared to address the risk of foreign interference via the 5G supply chain (current mitigation measures considered to be "insufficient").
"For the 'core network' part, restrictions have started to emerge in more than a third of the Member States", a senior EU official noted, adding that there was still work to be done on diversification and non-dependence.
What about the Chinese giant Huawei?
As in previous documents, there is no point looking for the names Huawei or ZTE in the document. The Chinese equipment manufacturers, whom Washington accuses of spying, do not appear there.
In March, Member States had agreed to introduce restrictions or even exclusions to protect sensitive or critical parts of the network (core network functions, network management and orchestration functions or network access functions).
Asked by the press about the status of these restrictions, a senior EU official replied: "The report gives examples, but does not say who is doing better. It is more of an evaluation”.
However, the United Kingdom has recently announced its intention to exclude Huawei from its network by 2027 at the latest (see EUROPE 12528/29). In France, the Chinese equipment manufacturer will not be subject to a total ban on the 5G market, but operators already using Huawei equipment will have operating authorisations limited to 8 years. Conversely, in Spain, Poland and Greece in particular, operators are already planning to use Huawei in their deployments, alongside Ericsson and Nokia.
What's the future for 5G?
While the European Commission recognises that it would be complicated to finalise the allocation of all frequencies before the end of the year, it is maintaining the 2025 target for the full deployment of 5G in urban areas and major transport axes (see EUROPE 12504/13).
However, the Chinese giant Huawei is, with Nokia and Ericsson, one of only three equipment manufacturers capable of supplying the entire network, with ZTE or Samsung only able to supply parts.
The European Commission does not seem to be concerned about such a situation: "If you look at the overall situation, Nokia and Ericsson already have a large proportion of the market. Over 50%, even. Two European suppliers can provide what is needed for Europe and the rest of the world. (...) So we're confident", the source said, adding, however, that the toolkit had not been designed to be against any particular player. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)