UK bans Huawei from 5G networks in security crackdown
All equipment made by the company will be removed from 5G infra by 2027, says govt
Huawei Technologies Co. will be banned from the UK’S next-generation mobile networks, in a sweeping crackdown on the Chinese company that will delay 5G rollout and hit businesses with billions of pounds in extra costs.
Under the blueprint agreed by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, operators will not be able to add any new Huawei components to their 5G networks after December 31 this year. All equipment made by the Shenzhen-based company that has already been installed will need to be removed from 5G infrastructure by 2027, the government said, confirming reports by Bloomberg News on Monday.
Ministers also warned operators to stop buying Huawei gear for their fixed fullfiber broadband networks. The government will consult with industry on a timetable for tighter rules on fixed networks, but said it is expected to come into force within two years.
The ban on Huawei will cost UK operators as much as £2 billion ($2.51 billion) to implement, and will delay the roll out of 5G networks by between two and three years, the government said.
The decision to strip out Huawei’s kit from British networks represents a major reversal by Johnson, and threatens to fuel a growing row between the UK and China at a highly sensitive time. China has warned Johnson will face “consequences” if the UK treats it as a “hostile partner”.
Johnson, his senior ministers and top security chiefs signed off on the plan at a meeting of the National Security Council on Tuesday. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden set out the details after the meeting. While 5G will be “transformative” for the UK, “confidence in the security and resilience of the infrastructure it is built upon” is vital. “The government has decided it is necessary to ban Huawei from our 5G networks,” Dowden said. “This decisive move provides the industry with the clarity and certainty it needs to get on with delivering 5G across the UK.” In May, the US banned Huawei from sourcing microchips which use American technology, a move that forced British officials to reassess their view of the security and sustainability of using the company’s equipment in 5G networks.