UK to Work With Huawei on 5G, Despite Security Concerns Abroad

The United Kingdom today announced(Opens in a new window) a controversial move expected since 2017: allowing Chinese manufacturer Huawei (which the government is calling a “high-risk vendor” rather than mentioning the company by name) to supply equipment for the UK’s 5G network.

The decision sets out exactly how much of the network high-risk vendors will be able to access. Their market share would be capped at 35 percent, and they’d be banned from sensitive parts of the network and certain geographic locations, including nuclear sites and military bases.

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre will also issue guidance to UK telecom companies on how to work with high-risk vendors.

From a technological perspective, little changes with regards to the UK’s 5G plans. All four of the UK’s major telecom companies are using Huawei equipment right now, with many already having taken the advice laid out in this proposal. Nevertheless, many big companies lobbied the government to allow Huawei technology, and it seems they got their wish.

The decision, however, is not simply technological. Excluding Huawei would reportedly cost the UK economy £7 billion(Opens in a new window), which is not to be sniffed at given the economic surrounding Britain’s exit from the European Union on Jan. 31.

There are diplomatic considerations, though. The US—a key UK ally—has banned Huawei from its 5G networks and is not permitting US companies to work with the Chinese firm. The Trump administration cites security concerns; Huawei might one day be compelled by the government to turn its equipment into spying devices, it says—something Huawei denies. But the US is also in the midst of hammering out a trade deal with China.

Nevertheless, the UK’s decision to allow Huawei on its 5G network, even in comparatively insignificant areas, could be seen as the country ignoring US intelligence agencies. The UK’s own agencies have been mixed about the Chinese manufacturer, with GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters) reportedly saying(Opens in a new window) that allowing Huawei would be like “letting a fox loose in a chicken coop.” The National Cyber Security Centre has reportedly said the risk is “manageable” and Mi5 is unfazed.