The European Union is considering giving mobile operators more time to strip Huawei and ZTE equipment out of their networks, softening a plan that has become one of the most sensitive files in EU–China trade relations.
Under the European Commission’s proposed revision of the Cybersecurity Act, operators would have had 36 months to remove equipment from suppliers designated as high risk. According to Reuters, as reported by Inside Towers on 5 October, a revised draft drops that fixed deadline. Instead, governments would set the timing based on the level of security risk, equipment and network replacement cycles, interoperability and whether alternative suppliers are available. The aim of reducing reliance on high-risk vendors remains.
Industry pushback
The shift follows heavy lobbying. In September, 17 chief executives of European operators, including Orange, Deutsche Telekom and Telefónica, publicly opposed the plan, warning that replacing the equipment could cost up to €40 billion and drain money needed for fibre, 5G and 6G, according to Android Headlines. Reuters reported an industry estimate of up to $45 billion. Operators in Germany, Italy and Spain are among the most reliant on Huawei.
A softer timetable may ease the bill for operators, but it does not remove the clash with Beijing over who can build Europe’s networks.
Beijing’s warning
China has already set out its objections. In a 30-page response to the Commission obtained by Light Reading in the spring, China’s commerce ministry argued that labelling suppliers high risk is based on country of origin rather than technical evidence, that it would breach World Trade Organization rules, and that China would act decisively to protect its interests if the EU stayed on its course.
The stakes are wide. The EU ran a goods trade deficit of €359.8 billion with China in 2025, according to figures cited by Light Reading.
What to watch
- Negotiations between member states and the European Parliament, which have not yet produced a final law.
- Whether any fixed outer deadline survives in the final text.
- Any concrete countermeasures from Beijing against EU companies.
