The British government has accelerated its ban on the installation of Huawei telecoms equipment by network operators.
From September 2021, operators will be prohibited from installing Huawei equipment in the UK’s 5G networks, the government announced. Purchases of Huawei gear have already been banned since 31 December 2020.
“Today I am setting out a clear path for the complete removal of high-risk vendors from our 5G networks,” Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden said in a statement.
“This will be done through new and unprecedented powers to identify and ban telecoms equipment which poses a threat to our national security.”
The move increases pressure on operators to phase out Huawei equipment, but it also gives the industry clearer certainty after a year of shifting policy.
In January the government had announced a more permissive approach, allowing Huawei equipment in 5G networks under strict conditions. Those restrictions barred installations near sensitive locations such as military sites and capped Huawei’s share of an operator’s Radio Access Network at 35 percent. That decision sparked strong criticism from allies, members of Parliament across the political spectrum, and human rights organizations.
In July the government changed course again, ordering the removal of Huawei equipment from 5G networks by 2027. Officials said US sanctions on Huawei had increased security concerns because the company would be forced to source components from suppliers viewed as less trustworthy.
Parliament will debate the Telecommunications Security Bill at its second reading in the House of Commons. The bill enshrines the new measures into law, grants the government expanded national security powers, and proposes financial penalties for non-compliance — fines of up to 10 percent of turnover or more than £100,000 a day for operators found to be in breach.
Huawei Vice President Victor Zhang has described the policy shift as “politically motivated and not based on a fair evaluation of the risks.”
To support the transition away from reliance on a single vendor, the government has allocated £250 million to a new 5G Supply Chain Diversification Strategy aimed at encouraging a broader range of suppliers to enter the UK market. A wider supplier base is expected to boost security by reducing dependence on one or two companies and to lower costs through increased competition.
As part of the chancellor’s spending review, about £50 million will be provided next year to help build “a secure and resilient 5G network,” according to published documents.
The industry is looking to initiatives such as Open RAN to expand competition while ensuring interoperability across different vendors’ equipment.
Earlier this month Vodafone committed to deploying 5G equipment from smaller Open RAN vendors at one-fifth of its UK sites from 2027, signalling operator interest in diversifying supply sources.
(Photo by James Newcombe on Unsplash)