The UK has ordered the removal of all Huawei equipment from 5G networks by 2027, and will ban the installation of new gear starting in 2021.
The UK is reversing a policy that allowed Huawei equipment in non-core parts of its 5G networks.
Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden has ordered the removal of all Huawei 5G hardware from UK networks by 2027, and will ban the purchase of any new 5G equipment from the Chinese firm as of January 1,2021.
Existing limits on Huawei for “sensitive and critical” network areas will remain in place. Fiber broadband networks aren’t subject to the same bans, but the UK is asking companies to avoid buying Huawei products and expects a transition to last two years.
The decision follows a National Security Council meeting that determined US trade restrictions on chips, implemented in May, would make it “impossible” to guarantee the security of Huawei gear going forward. The company would need a “major reconfiguration” of its supply system to continue getting the technology it needs, according to the government. There also weren’t any alternatives that provided officials with “sufficient confidence.”
The UK vowed to enshrine the new measures in law by proposing a telecom security bill as soon as possible. The measure wouldn’t single out Huawei, however, and would instead cover all “high risk” equipment makers.
