The United Kingdom says it will decide whether Chinese tech giant Huawei should be excluded from its 5G mobile network. UK’s Digital Secretary Nicky Morgan said she hoped the government could reach a conclusion on the issue by October 2019.
Morgan thinks that the UK needs to make the right decision that would secure their networks. Meanwhile, China had warned the UK earlier in the year. They told them that excluding Huawei from their 5G network would send a really bad signal.
However, Morgan said,
“I would hope that we could do something by the autumn, but we want to make the right decision and we’ve got to make sure that this is going to be a decision for the long term, making sure we keep all our networks secure.”
“Huawei is not involved in the provision of government networks at the moment and that’s absolutely going to stay the same way, but we will look at all circumstances.”
Will The UK Let Huawei In?
In response to this, a Huawei spokesman gave a statement. He said the Huawei could provide affordable and secure 5G services to the UK.
“Over the last 18 years, we have helped build the UK’s broadband, 3G and 4G networks. And, as independent analysts agree, Huawei can help British operators develop 5G networks that are more secure, more affordable and completed more quickly – helping to keep bills down for consumers and connect rural areas,” the spokesman stated.
Meanwhile, UK’s new Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, and US President Donald Trump discussed Huawei and 5G. They did this on Sunday, 25th August 2019, at a meeting during the G7 Summit in France.
The US had banned companies from selling components and technology to Huawei because of security concerns. They also went as far as putting pressure on their allies to exclude Huawei from their 5G networks.
Although, former British Prime Minister Theresa May had reportedly agreed to allow Huawei to give antennas and 5G equipment to the UK. This she did for the Chinese company to keep out of the country’s most sensitive systems.