UK follows US in banning Huawei from 5G network

The UK announced on Tuesday that Huawei equipment will be banned from being included in the country’s 5G network after all. The decision is a reversal of an earlier announcement made back in January, in which the country said Huawei would have it market share capped at 35% and its equipment would not be allowed in core parts of the network.

UK Digital Minister Oliver Dowden made the announcement in Parliament on Tuesday afternoon. From the end of this year, telecoms operators must not buy any equipment from Huawei, he said. It is “necessary and prudent” to commit to removing Huawei equipment from the UK’s 5G networks by 2027, he added, acknowledging it would set back the UK’s rollout of 5G.

The UK’s first decision on the future of Huawei arrived after more than a year of delays, perpetuated by elections and Brexit discussions. During that time two prime ministers — first Theresa May, then Johnson — put off making a decision on the matter. Following Johnson’s firm decision to allow Huawei in January, speculation arose that the government might yet change its mind.

In recent months, Johnson has come under significant pressure from the US government and members of his party calling for him to reconsider the extent to which Huawei would be allowed to operate in the UK. The US has since announced sanctions to Huawei, banning the company from using US technology, which has increased risks said Dowden.

“Since January the situation has changed,” he said. The UK “can no longer be confident” that Huawei equipment will be secure, he added. “This has not been an easy decision, but it is the right one.”

Among officials, security experts and lawmakers in the US and UK, there are significant concerns about Huawei’s links to China’s ruling Communist Party. In particular, they’re worried about the potential for Huawei equipment in national infrastructure to be used for espionage and surveillance. Huawei has consistently denied that there is any merit to these concerns.

Now that the UK has ruled out Huawei from the future of its 5G networks, its next challenge will be to strip the company’s equipment out of its existing network infrastructure. UK telecoms companies including BT and Vodafone have warned that this could cost hundreds of millions, or even billions of pounds, with costs likely being passed onto consumers, as well as potentially causing blackouts or security problems in networks.

Huawei is expected to issue a statement on the UK’s decision shortly.

This story is developing, please check back fro updates…