Austria is discussing the exclusion of Chinese manufacturers from the mobile network. That would have far-reaching consequences in Austria.
Wien. With the request to network operators to check their 5G networks for components from Chinese manufacturers, Germany got the debate about Huawei and ZTE rolling again. The devices from China could be banned for reasons of national security. In Austria, the responsible Ministry of Finance has commissioned a committee based in the regulatory authority RTR to examine the cause, as the “press” learned. Overall, however, action is being taken at EU level: Due to the geopolitical dispute with China, the question of banning Huawei and ZTE is a delicate one.
Austria’s major network operators A1 (Telekom Austria), Drei (Hutchison) and Magenta do not want to comment on what a ban or even the subsequent dismantling of certain components would mean. At the moment these are only political discussions in which one does not want to take part. Especially since network operators in Austria are generally free to choose their manufacturers when expanding the 5G network until further notice, says RTR. Connoisseurs warn the “press” of far-reaching consequences for Austrian networks.