BRUSSELS -- A pan-European telecoms association has warned against banning Chinese equipment vendors, saying that the consequences would be costs increase and delay of 5G networks deployment.

In a recent statement, the European Competitive Telecommunications Association (ECTA) said it "denounces any bans of Chinese 5G suppliers for geopolitical reasons and emphasizes that such decisions can only be justified on the basis of well-established facts."

The ECTA groups alternative 35 telecoms such as Germany's 1&1 Drillisch, Iliad of France, Spain's Masmovil and China's Huawei Technologies.

The exclusion of Huawei and ZTE, another Chinese equipment vendor, would leave telecoms with a choice of just three suppliers, Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung.

"A reduction in the number of worldwide suppliers from five to three will not only impact the telecoms sector by increasing costs, negatively impacting performance, delaying the deployment of 5G networks and constraining innovation potential," the ECTA said.