The United States has warned the British government not to allow Huawei technology to be used in the UK’s 5G network. The U.S. sent Deputy National Security Advisor Matt Pottinger with a delegation on Monday to present the UK with new evidence claiming to show Huawei’s threat to the country – it told the UK that adopting Huawei technologies “would be madness”.
According to BBC, which has claimed numerous deadlines for when the UK will make a decision over Huawei, the British government could make a decision as soon as this month. If the UK approves Huawei"s tech, it will only be used in some non-core parts of the network which will ensure information travelling across the network remains secure.
The U.S. has heavily lobbied against Huawei’s inclusion in 5G networks all around Europe. As it stands right now, Poland has made it more difficult for Huawei to be included in its networks and Germany has been under renewed pressure. With the UK aiming for a trade deal with the U.S. after it leaves the EU, it’s not really in a great position to go against the U.S.’ request.
Commenting on the matter, a Huawei spokesperson said:
“We are a private company which has supplied 3G, 4G and broadband equipment to the UK"s telecoms companies for 15 years. British experts are clear our technology does not pose a security risk.”
The main advantages of opting with Huawei tech is that it’s ready, right now, to be installed in networks and it’s also cheaper to purchase than the competition which in turn reduces costs for consumers. Mobile carriers have spoken out in favour of keeping Huawei hardware in the network, while GCHQ has spoken out against the Chinese firm; only time will tell what the government finally decides to do.
Source: BBC News