The UK Government has issued legal directions to telecoms operators requiring the removal of Huawei equipment from national communications networks.
In 2020, the government announced that Huawei hardware must be phased out of the country’s 5G networks by 2027, and operators were prohibited from buying Huawei equipment after 31 December 2020.
“This has not been an easy decision, but it is the right one for the UK telecoms networks, for our national security and our economy, both now and indeed in the long run,” said then-Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden when the policy was unveiled.
Legal notices have now been sent to 35 UK telecoms operators setting out specific obligations, including the requirement to:
- Remove Huawei equipment from sites considered significant to national security by 28 January 2023
- Limit Huawei’s presence to no more than 35 percent of the full-fibre access network by 31 October 2023
- Remove Huawei equipment from the network core by 31 December 2023
- Ensure Huawei equipment is removed from 5G networks by the end of 2027
- Refrain from installing any Huawei equipment in full-fibre networks that has been affected by US sanctions
“We must have confidence in the security of our phone and internet networks which underpin so much about our economy and everyday lives,” said UK Digital Secretary Michelle Donelan.
“Thanks to this government’s tougher laws we can raise the security standards of telecoms infrastructure and control the use of high-risk vendors. Today I’m using these powers to make it a legal requirement for Huawei to be removed from 5G networks by 2027.”
The policy has faced criticism from some operators who say it slows the 5G rollout and increases costs. Nonetheless, the ban has been broadly welcomed by Western cybersecurity experts for its emphasis on supply-chain security.
“Society increasingly relies on telecoms and the NCSC, government and industry partners work closely to help ensure that these networks are secure and resilient in the long term,” commented NCSC Technical Director Dr Ian Levy.
“The Telecoms Security Act helps give us confidence in the resilience of everyday services, and the legal requirements set out in this Designated Vendor Direction are an important part of that security journey.”
(Photo by Scott Graham on Unsplash)
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