Germany’s ruling coalition, comprised of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Christian Social Union (CSU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD), has finalized a significant shift in national security protocols surrounding the rollout of 5G mobile networks. The move, detailed in a report by “Handelsblatt”, grants the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) unprecedented authority to unilaterally mandate the removal of network components deemed security risks, effectively bypassing previous multi-departmental approval processes.
The legislative change, amending the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) Act, directly addresses escalating concerns regarding the security implications of relying on Chinese technology providers, namely Huawei and ZTE. Previously, any decision to prohibit specific equipment required consensus among various government agencies. The revised law streamlines this process, allowing the BMI to proceed even in the face of objections from other ministries citing potential impediments to network expansion. According to Johannes Schätzl, digital policy spokesperson for the SPD parliamentary group, while other ministries will still be consulted, the ultimate decision rests with the Interior Ministry, justified by prevailing security conditions during both installation and operation.
Marc Henrichmann, Chairman of the Parliamentary Control Committee, framed the change as a necessary response to the contemporary threat landscape, emphasizing the clarity of warnings received from Germany’s intelligence services. He stated that preserving “state action capability” requires a serious approach to identified risks and the willingness to act accordingly.
Adding further weight to the escalating security concerns, the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) has simultaneously unveiled a revised draft for the security catalogue of telecommunications networks, now classifying 5G base stations as critical components. This designation subjects the radio infrastructure itself to stricter regulatory requirements. According to Schätzl, the clear signal to network operators is that the BMI now possesses the authority to intervene not only within the core network but also within the access network. This new posture, as described by Schätzl, essentially puts operators on notice that proactive adherence to guidelines is expected, with the implicit threat of governmental intervention if those expectations are unmet. The move underscores a growing tension between technological advancement and national security imperatives within the German government.