BORIS Johnson has banned Huawei from Britain’s 5G network from next year – but it will take until 2027 for all of it to be scrapped.
The Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden today announced that new Huawei equipment will be banned from next year after a growing backlash against the company.
Speaking in the Commons, Mr Dowden explained the decision came after US sanctions against the network.
He said: “The National Cyber Security Centre has reviewed the consequences of the US actions, the NCSC has now reported to ministers that they have significantly changed their security assessment of Huawei’s precence in the UK’s 5 network.
“The Government agrees with the NSCS’s advice, the best way to secure our networks if to stop using new affected Huawei equipment to build the UK’s 5G networks
“From the end of this year telecoms operators must not buy any equipment from Huawei, and after the telecoms bill it will be illegal to do so.”
The move is a major u-turn for the Government, who had vowed to continue with Huawei despite concerns from Tory MPs.
It means:
- The ban will come in for new parts to the 5G network from 1 Jan 2021
- Huawei will still be allowed to keep their 2G, 3G and 4G equipment in the country as it’s not deemed a security risk
- Huwei’s 5G network can’t be ditched straight away as there’s only one other supplier who can be used right now – Nokia
- Fiber internet providers will have two years to phase out Huawei products in their current internet technology
- Higher prices for consumers likely as internet providers will have to strip the firm’s parts out
- Today Lord Browne of Madingley stepped down early as the UK chairman of Huawei Technologies ahead of the ban
Mr Dowden also admitted the move would delay 5G rollout by two years, costing up to £2 billion.
Despite the move, sources stressed it’s still safe to use and buy Huawei phones and laptops.
It comes after a growing revolt from Mr Johnson’s own MPs over the Chinese company’s technology not being completely gone from the 5G network until 2027.
In a letter to Mr Johnson, ten Tory MPs had bashed the “unreasonable delay”.
They said: “We do not believe it is possible for the UK to have both secure networks and a role for Huawei within them.
“It remains the case that, under China’s national intelligence law, Huawei is obliged to co-operate with Chinese intelligence and to deny that it does so. The nature of Chinese law is such that Huawei is — to all intents and purposes — a state-owned enterprise.
“In addition, we have learnt much more about how the People’s Republic of China treats its own people. In the last month alone, the world has been confronted with shocking new evidence of systematic human rights abuses by the Chinese Communist Party. These include a birth suppression programme directed against Uighur Muslims by the authorities.”
“Knowing how lightly China takes the assurances it has given, many colleagues are even more uncomfortable about a role for Huawei in our networks.
“Given that, we fervently hope you will end Huawei’s ability to supply the UK’s critical national infrastructure.”
The MPs include former party leader Iain Duncan Smith, ex-cabinet minister David Davis and Bob Seely.
Mr Seely had also warned that the government would face further fury if the deadline was pushed back until the end of the decade.
A Whitehall official explained today that it was not as simple as just taking off a piece of equipment.
They said: “It is not just ripping out an aerial, you dismantling a highly intelligent piece of equipment.
The Government announced in January that Huwaei would be limited to the core of the 5G network and just 35 per cent market share of the other parts.
This morning Lord Browne of Madingley stepped down early as the UK chairman of Huawei Technologies ahead of the ban.
Yesterday BT chief Philip Jansen warned of possible “outages” if they are ordered to remove all Huawei products which help run 3G and 4G networks over security risks.
He said: “I think that’s impossible to do in under ten years.”
US sanctions mean Huawei cannot use American components, which will mean the firm would have to use untrusted technology.
Donald Trump’s man in London also warned that allowing the Chinese tech giant to build parts of Britain’s 5G network would be like “putting a kleptomaniac” into your house.
US Ambassador Woody Johnson used the analogy to raise the stakes in the ongoing transatlantic row over the role of Huawei.
Last year America even threatened to stop sharing top-secret intelligence with Britain if it allows Huawei to build its 5G mobile phone network.
Huawei has always denied that it poses any security risk and insists that it is a private company free from Chinese state control.
