T-Mobile removes Huawei from cell towers, core network will follow later

Replacing Huawei with Ericsson is part of a revamp of the radio network and antenna, according to reports T-Mobile† It is not known how much money is involved in the transaction. The provider says it will take two to three years for Huawei to be replaced from the edge of the network.

A spokesperson for the carrier said that Huawei equipment that T-Mobile currently uses will be gradually replaced as it needs to be replaced. “We don’t get rid of equipment that is still good.”

network core

So you will say goodbye to Huawei as a supplier in the coming years. Also at the heart of the network. But how long that will take is not clear. A T-Mobile spokesperson has no answer to this question.

Huawei’s reputation has quickly declined in recent years due to concerns about possible spying by the Chinese government. Among all the providers in the Netherlands, T-Mobile made the most of Huawei equipment.

No basic equipment

In the Netherlands, as in many other countries, Huawei has been banned by the government, although the company is not mentioned by name in the policy. According to the government, only items from trusted suppliers who are “not under the influence of a malicious party” can be used in critical parts of networks.

With this, Huawei is effectively excluded from the core of the network. At the edge of the network, the service providers themselves can select the suppliers of their choice.

The telecom companies were supposed to be informed in a confidential decision of the equipment needed for this. The government does not talk about the amount of time available to service providers for this.

But as a result of the decision, it has already become clear that Huawei is no longer providing basic 5G equipment Dutch telecom companies†

Vodafone no longer has Huawei elements at the heart of the network. KPN will remove these things from the network, just like T-Mobile, but it will continue to use Huawei’s 5G antennas.

Huawei ban

Huawei is controversial in many Western countries. Politicians and critics fear that the Chinese government could spy or even sabotage through Huawei.

Evidence for this has not been provided. But politicians want to rule out the danger. That’s why Huawei has already been banned from networks in many countries, such as Sweden and the United Kingdom.