Huawei, the biggest Chinese 5G telecom equipment manufacturer, is no longer welcomed in the UK anymore. The USA has already banned Huawei from its 5G network. Earlier UK decided to grant Huawei limited participation into the British 5G infrastructure but now the UK has taken a U-turn.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered a total ban on the purchase of any new 5G kit from Huawei after 31 December 2020. While Huawei will be completely removed from the UK’s 5G networks by the end of 2027. Telecom companies like BT, Vodafone, and Three are pleased that they have given time till 2027 to purge all the Huawei equipment. They feared that fast-tracking the process could end up in billion of pounds loss.
The decision was taken today in a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) chaired by the Prime Minister, in response to new US sanctions. The US has restricted the chip maker who uses technology from US companies, to supply chips to Huawei. Technical experts at the NCSC said that it could no longer guarantee the stable supply of Huawei gear after the US sanctions on chip technology.
Huawei has said in a statement, “This disappointing decision is bad news for anyone in the UK with a mobile phone,” the spokesperson said. “It threatens to move Britain into the digital slow lane, push up bills, and deepen the digital divide. Instead of ‘leveling up’ the government is leveling down, and we urge them to reconsider.”
