Telefónica has confirmed this week that the telco will ditch Chinese vendor Huawei from its 5G networks in Spain and Germany.

Reuters reported that the Spanish carrier will phase out Huawei's 5G equipment from the two countries' respective 5G networks.

"In both Germany and Spain, we are reducing our exposure to Huawei following the rules we have in these countries," Emilio Gayo, chief operating officer, told Reuters yesterday (July 30).

The carrier's decision is influenced by the government stance on Huawei in the two respective countries, as the European Union has pressured markets to limit the vendor's involvement in the build-out of 5G.

In 2020, the European Commission (EC) urged EU states to restrict "high-risk vendors" such as Huawei as they rolled out their national 5G networks.

Gayo told Reuters that Huawei has "very low exposure" in its UK market.

The UK, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have banned Huawei from playing a part in their 5G network infrastructure. Though no longer part of the EU, the UK initially granted the vendor a limited role in its 5G build before banning the company six months later in July 2020.

Despite the pressure to phase out Huawei, the Spanish government recently awarded the vendor a €12 million ($13.71m) wiretap contract.

Telefónica's decision to remove 5G kit in Europe doesn't extend to Brazil, however, with the market not restricted to the use of Huawei gear.