British telecommunications firms must not install new Huawei 5G
kit after September 2021, the government said, as part of a plan to purge the
Chinese firm's equipment from high speed mobile networks.
LONDON (Reuters) -
British telecommunications firms must not install new Huawei 5G kit after
September 2021, the government said on Monday, as part of a plan to purge the
Chinese firm's equipment from high speed mobile networks.
Britain has
already ordered all Huawei
equipment to be removed from its 5G network by the end of 2027, falling in line
with intelligence allies including the United States who say the firm poses
security risks.
China has
criticised that decision, while Huawei said last week it was disappointed
Britain was looking to exclude it from the 5G roll-out after the publication of
new laws that could see firms fined 100,000 pounds ($133,140) if they break the
ban.
Monday's
announcement comes ahead of a debate over new telecoms legislation in
parliament and fleshes out the timeline for equipment removal.
"I am setting
out a clear path for the complete removal of high-risk vendors from our 5G
networks," digital minister Oliver Dowden said in a statement.
"This will be
done through new and unprecedented powers to identify and ban telecoms
equipment which poses a threat to our national security."
The government
also announced a new strategy to diversify the 5G supply chain, consisting of
an initial 250-million-pound investment, trials in collaboration with Japanese
firm NEC and the establishment of new research facilities.
Britain has
already banned the buying new Huawei 5G kit after the end of the year.
Britain said its
July decision was related to concerns that U.S. sanctions on chip technology
could affect supply lines. Huawei said at the time the decision was
disappointing, and about U.S. trade policy rather than security.
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