UK consults on plans to restrict Huawei in its telecom networks

Amid concern about Chinese infiltration into British politics, the UK government has launched a consultation to control the involvement of Chinese telecom giant Huawei in its 5G infrastructure, which increasingly becomes embedded in national infrastructure, industries, and daily lives.

The four-week consultation is designed to ensure the security and resilience of phone and internet networks and create legal mechanisms to enforce the government’s plan to restrict Huawei’s involvement in UK telecoms networks amid the rollout of 5G technology.

Huawei is thought to have close ties to China’s ruling Communist Party, raising concerns that it could help the Chinese government gather intelligence. Over national security concerns, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered Huawei equipment to be completely removed from the UK’s 5G network by 2027. This decision came after the US imposed sanctions, citing national security concerns, forcing Huawei to use its own microchips in devices produced using American technology.

Notably, according to a notice, Huawei has been designated as a high-risk vendor. The UK government must consult with the industry on proposed measures to control Huawei under the Telecommunications Act 2021, protecting UK infrastructure from high-risk vendors. The consultations will focus on vendor direction proposals, which spell out the rules that public telecoms providers must follow when using Huawei equipment and services.

Effective immediately upon issuing the final direction, UK telecoms providers will be legally required to remove all Huawei equipment from 5G networks by 2027. They should not install Huawei equipment in 5G networks, full-fibre networks, and any equipment altered due to the impact of US sanctions. UK telecoms providers must reduce the share of Huawei equipment to 35% by July 31, 2023. By December 31, 2025, they should also remove Huawei’s high data rate intra-core and inter-operator transmission equipment that sends data across a network without processing it.

Digital Secretary Nadine Dories commented that the consultation, followed by last year’s new laws that issue tough sanctions on providers that fall short of our high-security standards, marks the next step in removing the risks posed by Huawei.

A Huawei spokesperson responded to the government’s announcement that political pressures had already forced the government to exclude Huawei from 5G, delaying its implementation by several years. These same pressures will jeopardize fibre broadband deployment, raising costs for businesses and families unnecessarily. However, the company will continue to support customers in the UK with their network equipment, which is widely regarded as among the most secure and reliable in the world, the spokesperson added.