UK government orders telco providers to impose early Huawei 5G ban

The government order comes ahead of the Telecoms Security Bill coming in from December 1

From next September telecoms providers have been told to stop installing Huawei equipment in the UK’s 5G networks by the government.

This announcement comes ahead of The Telecoms Security Bill that comes in from tomorrow (December 1) – a legislation allows Ofcom to enforce and monitor network operators’ security and compliance.

It follows the decision in the summer taken by the government to overturn its decision to allow Huawei a role in the UK’s 5G networks infrastructure.

The decision means that all Huawei equipment within the UK’s telecoms infrastructure will be removed by 2027.

Digital secretary Oliver Dowden has confirmed that operators must stop installing Huawei equipment from the end of September 2021, apart from maintaining equipment installed prior to the sanctions.

Dowden said: “Today I am setting out a clear path for the complete removal of high-risk vendors from our 5G networks.

“This will be done through new and unprecedented powers to identify and ban telecoms equipment which poses a threat to our national security.

“We are also publishing a new strategy to make sure we are never again dependent on a handful of telecoms vendors for the smooth and secure running of our networks.”

Political 

The announcement of the new legislation last week was criticised by Huawei.

Victor Zhang, vice president of Huawei argued this decision was politically motivated.

“It does not serve anyone’s best interests as it would move Britain into the digital slow lane and put at risk the government’s levelling up agenda.”