diff --git a/packages/next/src/build/webpack-config.ts b/packages/next/src/build/webpack-config.ts
index d4d72858382ab..7bde371c68119 100644
--- a/packages/next/src/build/webpack-config.ts
+++ b/packages/next/src/build/webpack-config.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import { yellow, bold } from '../lib/picocolors'
 import crypto from 'crypto'
 import { webpack } from 'next/dist/compiled/webpack/webpack'
 import path from 'path'
-import semver from 'next/dist/compiled/semver'
 
 import { escapeStringRegexp } from '../shared/lib/escape-regexp'
 import { WEBPACK_LAYERS, WEBPACK_RESOURCE_QUERIES } from '../lib/constants'
@@ -269,29 +268,13 @@ export async function loadProjectInfo({
   }
 }
 
-function getOpenTelemetryVersion(): string | null {
+export function hasExternalOtelApiPackage(): boolean {
   try {
-    return require('@opentelemetry/api/package.json')?.version ?? null
+    require('@opentelemetry/api')
+    return true
   } catch {
-    return null
-  }
-}
-
-export function hasExternalOtelApiPackage(): boolean {
-  const opentelemetryVersion = getOpenTelemetryVersion()
-  if (!opentelemetryVersion) {
     return false
   }
-
-  // 0.19.0 is the first version of the package that has the `tracer.getSpan` API that we need:
-  // https://github.com/vercel/next.js/issues/48118
-  if (semver.gte(opentelemetryVersion, '0.19.0')) {
-    return true
-  } else {
-    throw new Error(
-      `Installed "@opentelemetry/api" with version ${opentelemetryVersion} is not supported by Next.js. Please upgrade to 0.19.0 or newer version.`
-    )
-  }
 }
 
 const UNSAFE_CACHE_REGEX = /[\\/]pages[\\/][^\\/]+(?:$|\?|#)/