The UK might end the use of Huawei’s 5G network equipment in its mobile networks this year according to a new report in the Sunday Telegraph.
A new report from GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre is thought to warn Boris Johnson that the use of Huawei equipment, that the UK government is currently limiting to 35% of any given 5G network, will force GCHQ to use “untrusted” technology.
The Telegraph reports that “new US sanctions on Huawei will force the company to use untrusted technology that could make the risk impossible to control.”
It’s thought that officials are readying plans that would stop the ongoing use of Huawei 5G equipment within the next six months, a big turnaround from the January decision to allow the 35%.
Johnson has come under pressure from the US government to not use Huawei equipment, but stood steadfast. But the GCHQ report seems to suggest that it’s the result of the US sanctions that means the UK’s intelligence services can no longer vouch for the trustworthiness of Huawei’s technology.
While the Telegrpah’s Whitehall source said the NCSC’s report will mark a “fundamental shift” in perspective from January, a Huawei spokesperson told the paper, “Huawei is the most scrutinised vendor in the world and we firmly believe our unrivalled transparency in the UK means we can continue to be trusted to play a part in Britain’s gigabit upgrade. It’s important to focus on facts and not to speculate at this time.”
But it doesn’t look good for Huawei’s prospects.
Author: Henry Burrell, Phones Editor
Henry is Tech Advisor’s Phones Editor, ensuring he and the team covers and reviews every smartphone worth knowing about for readers and viewers all over the world. He spends a lot of time moving between different handsets and shouting at WhatsApp to support multiple devices at once.