The UK is working with its “Five Eyes” partners and other like-minded democracies to identify alternatives to Huawei equipment amid mounting security concerns.
For years Huawei operated within the UK’s telecoms networks during a period of relatively stable relations between London and Beijing. But as 5G becomes integral to critical infrastructure and services, Western governments are increasingly anxious about potential foreign influence inside their networks.
Huawei, the market leader, has become the focal point of those anxieties, driven in part by heightened scrutiny of Beijing’s policies on Hong Kong, reports of detentions of Uighur Muslims in reeducation camps, and its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Huawei is not a sort of ordinary international telecommunications company, it’s an intimate part of the Chinese state,” former MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge. “And if you know anything about Chinese military strategy, they talk about the fusion of civil and military capabilities.”
“There is a close linkage undoubtedly between the Chinese military capability and Huawei,” he added.
Earlier this year the UK permitted Huawei to play a limited role in its 5G networks, a decision at odds with partner countries such as the US and Australia, which have implemented full bans on the vendor’s equipment.
That decision prompted criticism from allies, some members of Parliament, and human rights organisations concerned about the implications of allowing Huawei a foothold in national infrastructure.
This week Britain is expected to confirm tighter restrictions on Huawei’s role. The UK has been consulting the Five Eyes coalition—comprising the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand—and is exploring cooperation with a broader group of democracies sometimes referred to as the “D10.” The aim is to create a collaborative programme to fund, research and procure alternatives to Huawei technology.
The US and Australia, which moved early to prohibit Huawei equipment, are likely to support the UK’s initiative. According to the Financial Times, however, a US official cautioned that Washington would be more likely to join any joint effort if the UK adopted a firmer stance on Huawei first.
Phasing out Huawei equipment
Prime Minister Boris Johnson reportedly instructed ministers to prepare plans to remove Huawei gear from the UK’s 5G networks entirely by 2023. Recent events appear to have accelerated that timetable.
Australia suffered a large-scale cyberattack that was widely blamed on Beijing, an incident many viewed as linked to Canberra’s decision to ban Huawei and to call for an independent inquiry into COVID-19 origins. Chinese state media has also published hostile commentary about Australia in recent months, increasing tensions between the two governments.
This month the US formally designated Huawei and ZTE as national security threats, a move that has led to sanctions and heightened pressure on Chinese telecom suppliers operating in Western markets.
In response to the US measures, the UK commissioned a report assessing the viability of continuing to use Huawei equipment. A leaked copy of that assessment suggested that restrictions on Huawei could force the company to rely on components from untrusted suppliers, potentially increasing risks for the UK.
Since 2010 the UK has hosted the Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre (HCSEC), which inspects vendor equipment to identify security issues before deployment. HCSEC maintained for several years that the risks associated with Huawei components could be mitigated, but its assessments have grown more critical over time.
Officials have reported identification of shortcomings in Huawei’s engineering processes that exposed new risks to UK telecom networks and created long-term challenges for mitigation and management. Concerns included technical limitations that constrained security researchers’ ability to examine internal product code and the sourcing of components from third-party suppliers used in Huawei products. A follow-up HCSEC report described Huawei as failing to adequately address these concerns and warned of a significantly increased risk to UK operators.
With the leaked viability report indicating that issues around Huawei’s use of outside suppliers have become more acute following US sanctions, it is unsurprising that the UK is pursuing allied cooperation to fund and procure alternative suppliers and technologies.
(Photo by v2osk on Unsplash)
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