Germany to allow Huawei in 5G infrastructure projects

Germany's updated 'security catalogue' to be released this week will detail security standards for mobile operators in the country

Germany has decided to allow Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei to participate in the country's upcoming 5G infrastructure projects.

According to Reuters, Germany is set to release its updated "security catalogue" this week that will detail the security standards that mobile operators must adopt.

The new rulebook would also require mobile operators to obtain certification of critical 5G equipment from the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), the cyber security authority of the country, before using them in their network.

"We are not taking a pre-emptive decision to ban any actor, or any company," Steffen Seibert, spokesman for the German government, said in a news conference in Berlin on Monday.

The decision follows a statement from German Chancellor Angela Merkel earlier this year, where she said that Germany would not bar any individual firm from supplying equipment for next-generation 5G mobile networks in the country.

The decision is also a win for German mobile carriers, many of which are currently using Huawei equipment. Earlier this year, the operators warned that any ban on Huawei could delay the rollout of 5G services in the country and also cost billions of dollars.

For the past several months, the US has been pressing Germany, as well as other allies, to exclude Huawei from their 5G infrastructure projects.

It argues that Huawei might install "back doors" in its equipment, which China could use to spy on western countries. US officials also contend that under China's national intelligence law, all Chinese companies and citizens are required to co-operate with government agencies in their espionage efforts.

In May, the US blacklisted Huawei and imposed sanctions on its products.

Although most of the European countries haven't gone as far as the US, they do share some of the concerns raised by the US agencies.

Just last week, the EU member countries released a risk assessment report to warn about the security risks posed by the implementation of 5G. While the report refrained from specifically naming Huawei or any other Chinese firm, it urged member states to take all necessary steps to boost the security of their networks against challenges posed by state-based actors.