- European telecom providers have extensively outsourced network operations to vendors like Huawei, who manage over 100 million European subscribers, reducing local control.
- Concerns about spying, availability, and digital sovereignty from using Chinese equipment like Huawei are overshadowed by the fact that providers already lack autonomy due to outsourcing.
- Billing systems, including call detail records, are often sent to third parties in countries like Israel or China, undermining privacy through contracts that are unreliable against government warrants.
- Security departments in telecom companies struggle to enforce protective measures due to cost-cutting and profit priorities, making provider claims of customer protection questionable.
- To regain control, European providers must rebuild in-house technical expertise, value engineering staff, and consider open source and automation to reduce vendor dependency.
- The 5G decision should focus on restoring autonomy over network operations rather than just choosing between vendors like Huawei, Ericsson, or Nokia.