The European Commission has recommended that EU member states exclude Huawei and ZTE equipment from telecommunications infrastructure, renewing focus on the long-term direction of telecom vendor strategy across Europe. The recommendation, reported on 4 May 2026, reflects growing policy pressure around cybersecurity, supply-chain resilience and the role of high-risk suppliers in critical infrastructure.

For operators, however, the practical question is rarely as simple as whether a vendor should be used in future deployments. Across Europe and beyond, many live networks already contain a mixture of Huawei, ZTE, Nokia, Ericsson, Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco and other platforms. These environments often include equipment that remains operationally important, commercially valuable and deeply embedded within wider network architecture.

That means the immediate challenge is not just what to buy next, but how to safely and efficiently support what is already in service.

The policy direction is changing, but networks cannot change overnight

The EU recommendation adds to a wider trend toward vendor diversification, tighter security scrutiny and more deliberate control over critical network supply chains. Germany, for example, has already agreed a phased removal of Huawei and ZTE components from parts of its 5G network, with removal from core networks beginning in 2026 and broader restrictions extending toward 2029.

But telecom infrastructure is not replaced in a single procurement cycle. Transmission systems, mobile backhaul, optical platforms, routers, base stations and network management systems may remain in service for many years after a new strategic direction has been set. In some cases, they continue to support revenue-generating services long after the OEM has reduced, restricted or withdrawn support.

This is particularly true in legacy and hybrid environments, where operators need to balance future transformation with current service continuity. A forced or poorly planned replacement programme can create its own risks: unnecessary capital expenditure, operational disruption, skills gaps, spare-part shortages and the premature retirement of equipment that is still performing a valuable role.

Existing Huawei and ZTE infrastructure still needs to be supported

A recommendation affecting future use does not remove the need to maintain existing live systems. Operators with Huawei or ZTE assets already deployed still require access to:

• replacement parts for faults and failures
• repair and refurbishment services
• technical expertise for complex incidents
• lifecycle planning for equipment that may remain in service during a transition period
• asset management routes for equipment that is eventually removed from the network

Carritech already supports Huawei-based networks through independent L3 Remote Technical Support, with services designed for both live and legacy environments where OEM support may be limited, restricted or no longer aligned with operational needs. More broadly, Carritech’s model is built around extending the life of legacy infrastructure through spare-part supply, hardware repairs, network support services and responsible asset management.

This kind of independent support becomes especially important when network strategy and day-to-day operations begin to move at different speeds. A long-term vendor change may be commercially or politically desirable, but service teams still need practical answers for the equipment that must continue working tomorrow morning.

The real issue is often multi-vendor complexity

Most operators do not run a single-vendor environment. Networks evolve over decades through acquisitions, regional deployments, technology upgrades and changing procurement decisions. The result is often a complex estate where old and new platforms must operate side by side.

This is one reason why independent multi-vendor expertise is becoming increasingly valuable. Carritech’s Remote Technical Support services are specifically positioned around access to engineers with broad multi-vendor experience, helping organisations resolve complex issues without relying solely on high-cost OEM contracts. Carritech also supports a wider end-of-life model that includes spare parts, repairs, L3 support and asset management, giving operators more flexibility in how they manage ageing platforms.

In practice, the questions operators need to answer are often less about one manufacturer in isolation and more about the resilience of the whole support model:

• Which platforms are strategically important but no longer well covered by the OEM?
• Where is internal expertise becoming thin?
• Which parts are becoming harder to source?
• What equipment can be supported cost-effectively for longer?
• Which assets should be redeployed, sold, harvested for spares or responsibly recycled as the network changes?

A clear view of those questions helps organisations make better decisions than a simple “rip and replace” response.

Why replacing every affected asset immediately may not be the best answer

When policy pressure increases around particular manufacturers, there is often an understandable urge to accelerate replacement. In some situations, that may be necessary. But in others, the most sensible approach is a phased transition that maintains control, protects uptime and extracts the remaining value from installed assets.

There are several reasons for this.

First, many legacy assets are still operationally dependable. The fact that a platform is older, or no longer part of future procurement strategy, does not automatically mean it is failing or no longer fit for purpose.

Second, telecom equipment often has a long useful life. UK government guidance on the migration away from the PSTN notes that legacy telecom networks can remain in use for decades, with maintenance increasingly relying on recycled parts once original manufacturing has ceased.

Third, large-scale replacement has environmental and commercial consequences. Carritech’s service model is built around extending the life of network equipment where appropriate, helping customers reduce waste, avoid unnecessary replacement costs and make more sustainable use of existing infrastructure.

The most effective strategy is therefore often not keep everything forever or replace everything immediately, but rather understand the network, support it properly, and transition in the right order.

A practical approach for operators reviewing Huawei, ZTE and other legacy assets

For organisations now reassessing their network estates, a practical review should usually include four areas.

1. Map the installed base

Operators need a clear inventory of where Huawei, ZTE and other legacy platforms sit within the network, what services they support, and how critical each asset is to live operations.

2. Assess current support exposure

This means understanding the availability of OEM support, internal expertise, spare parts, repair routes and escalation capability. A platform may still be performing well, but the real risk may sit in the support model around it.

3. Separate urgent replacement from manageable continuation

Some assets may need accelerated removal for strategic, regulatory or security reasons. Others may be safely retained for a defined period with the right spares, repair capability and technical support in place.

4. Build an asset strategy around the transition

Equipment removed from one network does not always have to become waste. Depending on condition, demand and compliance requirements, assets may be suitable for resale, redeployment, harvesting or responsible recycling. Carritech’s asset management services are designed to help organisations recover value from surplus telecom equipment while supporting more sustainable lifecycle decisions.

Where Carritech fits into the conversation

Carritech works with telecom operators, service providers and infrastructure owners that need to keep legacy, hybrid and multi-vendor networks operational beyond standard manufacturer support models.

For organisations affected by changing vendor strategy, Carritech can help with:

• hard-to-find telecom spare parts
• repair and refurbishment of existing equipment
• independent L3 Remote Technical Support
• support for Huawei and wider multi-vendor environments
• asset management for surplus or decommissioned equipment
• practical support during phased migration and network transition programmes

This is particularly valuable where an operator needs to avoid a false choice between long-term transformation and immediate network reliability. With the right support model, organisations can continue to maintain service continuity today while making more informed, commercially sensible decisions about what changes next.

Conclusion

The EU’s recommendation on Huawei and ZTE is another sign that telecom infrastructure strategy is entering a more complex phase. Security, sovereignty, resilience and vendor diversification will all continue to shape future network decisions.

But for operators already running mixed-vendor environments, the immediate priority remains clear: understand the existing estate, protect service continuity, manage support risk and make transition decisions from a position of control rather than urgency.

That is where independent, multi-vendor support becomes increasingly valuable. As networks evolve, the ability to maintain what still matters, recover value from what no longer does, and plan the next move carefully may prove just as important as the technology chosen for the future.