Boris Johnson bans Huawei from UK's 5G network in major U-turn

In a major U-turn, Boris Johnson’s government has announced a ban on the purchase of new Huawei equipment by UK telecoms operators after 31 December 2020.

The government will also write into law a requirement for complete removal of all of the Chinese technology giant’s kit from 5G networks by 2027.

Meanwhile, UK broadband operators are to be advised to transition away from using the company’s products within an expected two years.

The dramatic shift was agreed at the National Security Council chaired by Mr Johnson this morning, after the National Cyber Security Centre completed its assessment of the impact of new US sanctions imposed by Donald Trump over security concerns in May.

The block on Huawei’s use of US-produced components and software was judged by the NCSC to be a “game-changer” making it unsafe to rely on the Chinese company for key elements of the hi-tech new mobile communications network which is expected to power UK GDP growth in future years.

Beijing has threatened “consequences” against the UK for overturning its decision in January to allow Huawei to supply of to 35 per cent of the kit for non-core parts of the new 5G network, sparking fears that Britain may be subject to trade sanctions or cyber-attacks of the kind unleashed against Australia when it demanded an inquiry into the source of the coronavirus pandemic.

A Huawei UK spokesman said the decision will “move Britain into the digital slow lane, push up bills and deepen the digital divide”. It is understood there will be no compensation paid to the Chinese company.

Announcing the decision to the House of Commons, digital secretary Oliver Dowden acknowledged that the change in strategy will delay the introduction of 5G in the UK by around two to three years to 2027/28 at an additional cost of around £2 billion. But the government is sticking by Mr Johnson’s 2025 target for national roll-out of full-fibre broadband.

The ban does not apply to private individuals buying Huawei mobile phones or laptops or other personal devices. And Huawei components will not be removed from existing 2G, 3G or 4G networks, where they are not considered to pose a risk to security or resilience.

Mr Dowden told MPs: “By the time of the next election, we will have implemented in law an irreversible path for the complete removal of Huawei equipment from our 5G networks.

“We have not taken this decision lightly and I must be frank about the consequences for every constituency in this country. This will delay our rollout of 5G.

“Our decisions in January had already set back that rollout by a year and cost up to a billion pounds. Today’s decision to ban the procurement of new Huawei 5G equipment from the end of this year will delay rollout by a year and will add up to half a billion pounds to costs. Requiring operators in addition to remove Huawei equipment from their 5G networks by 2027 will add hundreds of millions of pounds further to the cost and further delay rollout.

“This means a cumulative delayed 5G rollout of two to three years and costs of up to £2 billion. This will have real consequences for the connections on which all our constituents rely.”

Labour’s shadow digital minister Chi Onwurah said the government’s approach to Huawei had been “incomprehensibly negligent” and denounced its handling of the decision as “a car crash for our digital economy which could be visible from outer space”.

Mr Johnson has come under increasing pressure from Conservative backbenchers – including former party leader Iain Duncan Smith – to remove Huawei from the UK’s sensitive national infrastructure, with as many as 60 indicating they were ready to rebel to block upcoming telecommunications legislation.

Tory MP Bob Seely, co-ordinator of the Huawei Interest Group of concerned backbenchers, welcomed today’s decision.

But he added: “I believe that MPs will have concerns about elements of the statement, including no ban on 3G and 4G and a rip-out date for 5G far into the distance.

“It does mean Huawei’s glide path out of our critical national infrastructure will be slow. It also means that BT and others could be installing already-bought Huawei kit for well after 2020.”

Raising concerns about allegations of Huawei using forced labour and providing kit to perpetuate human rights abuses against the Muslim Uighur minority in Xinjiang, Mr Seely said: “This is not fundamentally an issue about Huawei but an issue about China.

“We badly need a new assessment of our relationship with China.”

Huawei UK spokesman Ed Brewster said: “This disappointing decision is bad news for anyone in the UK with a mobile phone. It threatens to move Britain into the digital slow lane, push up bills and deepen the digital divide.

“Instead of ‘levelling up’, the government is levelling down and we urge them to reconsider.

“We remain confident that the new US restrictions would not have affected the resilience or security of the products we supply to the UK. Regrettably our future in the UK has become politicised, this is about US trade policy and not security.

“Over the past 20 years, Huawei has focused on building a better connected UK. As a responsible business, we will continue to support our customers as we have always done.

“We will conduct a detailed review of what today’s announcement means for our business here and will work with the UK government to explain how we can continue to contribute to a better connected Britain.”

Mr Dowden said countries around the world have become “dangerously reliant on too few vendors” in the telecoms industry.

On China, he said the Government is “clear-eyed” before telling the Commons: “What we want is a modern and mature relationship with China based on mutual respect where we’re able to speak frankly when we disagree but also to work side by side with China on the issues where our interests converge.

“Today’s decision, however, is about ensuring the long-term security of our telecoms network – specifically in light of those new US sanctions.

“The security and resilience of our telecoms networks is of paramount importance. We have never and will never compromise that security in pursuit of economic prosperity.”

Source: UK Politics - www.independent.co.uk