UK to purge Huawei from 5G by 2027, angering China and pleasing Trump

By Paul Sandle, Guy Faulconbridge

 

Huawei headquarters building is pictured in Reading, Britain July 14, 2020. REUTERS/Matthew Childs

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered Huawei equipment to be purged completely from Britain’s 5G network by 2027, risking the ire of China by signalling that the world’s biggest telecoms equipment maker is no longer welcome in the West.

 

The seven-year lag will please telecoms operators such as BT, Vodafone and Three which feared they would be forced to spend billions of pounds to rip out Huawei equipment much faster. But it will delay the roll out of 5G.

 

The United States has pushed Johnson to reverse his January decision to grant Huawei a limited role in 5G, while London has been dismayed by a crackdown in Hong Kong and the perception China did not tell the whole truth over the coronavirus.

 

Britain’s National Security Council (NSC), chaired by Johnson, decided on Tuesday to ban the purchase 5G components from the end of this year and to order the removal of all existing Huawei gear from the 5G network by 2027.

 

The cyber arm of Britain’s GCHQ eavesdropping agency, the National Cyber Security Centre, told ministers it could no longer guarantee the stable supply of Huawei gear after the United States imposed new sanctions on chip technology.

 

Telecoms companies will also be told to stop using Huawei in fixed-line fibre broadband within the next two years. Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Oliver Dowden announced the decision in parliament.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-07-14

 

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HUAWEI will be completely removed from the UK’s 5G networks by the end of 2027, the government has announced, following new advice produced by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) on the impact of US sanctions against the telecommunications vendor.

Ahead of this there will be a total ban on the purchase of any new 5G kit after 31 December 2020.

The decision was taken today in a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) chaired by the Prime Minister, in response to new US sanctions. 

 

Huawei to be removed from UK 5G networks by 2027

 

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary's statement on telecoms

 

The Chinese Ambassador to UK had a good slagging in the house this afternoon.

The 'and pleasing Trump' seems to have been guesswork by Reuters. 

It is long past time to wake up to the threat the CCP presents to the free world.

Choke them off.

Stick that up your covid spreading bat munching Hong Kong grabbing back passage Xi ????

5 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered Huawei equipment to be purged completely from Britain’s 5G network by 2027, risking the ire of China by signalling that the world’s biggest telecoms equipment maker is no longer welcome in the West

If Huawei are the independent corporation free from the influences of the state that they go to great lengths to claim they are then why are the Chinese state now bitching and threatening forms of retaliation like pulling out of the new Huawei R & D facilities only just granted planning permission in Cambridge .. 

An odd position to take is it not ..  

Inevitable decision re security once Brexit was assured last month. Massive spending on infrastructure, transport and building in the UK is coming and will be required in the wake of the global plandemic and job losses.

 

This will delay 5G rollout by 4 years or so which is good news, time to iron out more issues, invest, build and integrate the infrastructure required to run properly and more securely moving forwards in tandem with the 5 eyes security program. 

 

4 hours ago, timendres said:

It is long past time to wake up to the threat the CCP presents to the free world.

Choke them off.

If that were true then why the 7 year delay?

 

Or is this another one of those hollow government announcements that are all the rage these days?!

 

Oh, and good luck with getting a trade agreement with the Chinese.

9 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Oh, and good luck with getting a trade agreement with the Chinese.

The world is finally reflecting on the last 3 decades of 'good luck' trying to trade fairly with China. As FBI director Chris Wray said a few days ago, the theft of intellectual property alone is the biggest transfer of wealth in human history.    

Thailand dealing with a major source of human rights abuse when restrictions here have bought this country to it's knees, then no doubt looking to this low country to fill the tourism void where their tourists are on budget everything and using their own people and paid for resources here. Little financial benefit to the struggling here and budget arrival offerings v the rest. Well done Thailand

6 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

Stick that up your covid spreading bat munching Hong Kong grabbing back passage Xi ????

I think you missed out Falun Gong organ harvesting, South China sea pirating, Tibet colonising, India attacking and Vladivostok claiming.

There may be others! 

 

It’s a curious thing to do, make an announcement about doing something in the next seven years when the announcement itself will be sure to anger a nation the UK desperately needs to do a trade deal with.

 

Doubly so given the UK could quietly purge its telecom systems of this manufacturer’s equipment without making any announcement at all.

 

 

Me thinks somebody is playing Silly Rugger.

 

 

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

It’s a curious thing to do, make an announcement about doing something in the next seven years when the announcement itself will be sure to anger a nation the UK desperately needs to do a trade deal with.

 

Doubly so given the UK could quietly purge its telecom systems of this manufacturer’s equipment without making any announcement at all.

 

 

Me thinks somebody is playing Silly Rugger.

 

 

Boris has to made the announcement loud and clear to appease Trump who threaten him with cutting of security and intelligence ties. Just made worse for UK who is desperate for more trading partners especially China who has recovered from Covid and the economy picking up as seen by their positive trade numbers and stock markets. Meanwhile U.K. will have to bargain for more accessibilities to US markets and an economy still mired in the midst of surging pandemic. Cutting Huawei will set back 5G in U.K. for couple of years and will cost more for the telecom companies and consumers. Maybe the 7 years disengagement plan is to allow a possibility for a revise policy after Trump leave office in January. Don’t see much upside for U.K. to cut its nose to spite the face. 

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

It’s a curious thing to do, make an announcement about doing something in the next seven years when the announcement itself will be sure to anger a nation the UK desperately needs to do a trade deal with.

 

Doubly so given the UK could quietly purge its telecom systems of this manufacturer’s equipment without making any announcement at all.

 

 

Me thinks somebody is playing Silly Rugger.

 

 

A trade deal was never on the cards. The wagons are circling.

 

As such, people can make more noise than if they were trying to get one.

Seems one of those huge trade deals Brexiteers were dreaming about that the EU was not able to secure is out then. Foreign policy and Brexit policy don’t seem to be aligned well. 

     Banning Huawei is the first step in the right direction, for 30+ years the West have assisted China in its financial rise to power, and what was not given, they stole.

     China has proved it can't be trusted as a major power, with all its events in recent years, So the time has come stem the tide, The US can't be blamed for what China has done to the world, but it could help undo what China has become, and yes it will come at a price, The UK has come to the same conclusions, and regardless of Chinese and EU deals, life will go on, as other world markets are ready to grow, it may take time, but its a better option than letting a communist dictatorship take over.

Johnson is just becoming a puppet of the US just like Tony Blair

45 minutes ago, gamini said:

Johnson is just becoming a puppet of the US just like Tony Blair

       RUBBISH, just look at all the related facts.

Purge China from the world.

7 years ?  why so long .... who needs 5G anyway ?

56 minutes ago, gamini said:

Johnson is just becoming a puppet of the US just like Tony Blair

Johnson always was a puppet, but just as likely to be a Putin puppet as well, through the power of a compromised Cummings. 

 

“Britain’s decision to protect its national security by banning Huawei from its 5G network is also a win for fair trade and human rights.”

Woody Johnson, US ambassador to the UK, lets slip this is as much about trade wars as security fears

 

US 5G technology is way behind Huawei, that's why the US are playing dirty, the security issues are a smokescreen. It is bits of electronic kit, they can be thoroughly checked by techs in the field with a brain. 

How would you describe China's contempt for patent law - answer obscene. However for people to pretend that every thing they do is derivative is absurd. They learnt well in the tech field and are now being highly innovative themselves. 

I dont have an issue with chinese 5g. The US and china are thick as thieves.

3 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

Boris has to made the announcement loud and clear to appease Trump who threaten him with cutting of security and intelligence ties. Just made worse for UK who is desperate for more trading partners especially China who has recovered from Covid and the economy picking up as seen by their positive trade numbers and stock markets. Meanwhile U.K. will have to bargain for more accessibilities to US markets and an economy still mired in the midst of surging pandemic. Cutting Huawei will set back 5G in U.K. for couple of years and will cost more for the telecom companies and consumers. Maybe the 7 years disengagement plan is to allow a possibility for a revise policy after Trump leave office in January. Don’t see much upside for U.K. to cut its nose to spite the face. 

Is Boris Johnson trying to demonstrate that Donald Trump is a trustworthy partner?

3 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

Maybe the 7 years disengagement plan is to allow a possibility for a revise policy after Trump leave office in January.

Nah. It's because the big players such as British Telecom, O2 and Vodafone have warned that there may be outages in the existing system if they have to rip out all the Huawei gear and replace it with Nokia, or even ECI or MikroTik.

50 minutes ago, Nigel Garvie said:

US 5G technology is way behind Huawei, that's why the US are playing dirty, the security issues are a smokescreen. It is bits of electronic kit, they can be thoroughly checked by techs in the field with a brain. 

Such a US/China comparison has no relevance to how things work in the real world, though it may be a common misconception.  Huawei did not design 5G technology. This is done many large international consortiums including the ITU, International Telecommunications Union, and an industry consortium called the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), in itself made up of 7 regional consortiums covering the world. Standardization is a massive long term process that covers many areas of science and industry.

 

The research for the high-tech magic that makes 5G 5G is done many of the world's top scientists, universities, and industry. An area where China still lags behind. Companies like Huawei design their products based on standard 5G technology and use lots of high technology, like chips, provided by the world's top technology providers. That is an area where the US is still a leader and China lags behind.

 

EOD, it's not about China or the US. Huawei is 'ahead' because it is pushed and supported by its Communist Party dad to quickly get its equipment rooted into international markets in part for nefarious purposes.  

Concerns over Chinese involvement in 5G wireless networks

 

On your other comment that it is easy to find all the spyware, it is near impossible, the technology is vastly complex. The Chinese have even been known to hide secret chips in motherboards that cannot be seen.

 

 

6 minutes ago, rabas said:

Such a US/China comparison has no relevance to how things work in the real world, though it may a common misconception.  Huawei did not design 5G technology. This is done many large international consortiums including the ITU, International Telecommunications Union, and an industry consortium called the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), in itself made up of 7 regional consortiums covering the world. Standardization is a massive long term process that covers many areas of science and industry.

 

The research for the magic high-tech stuff that makes 5G 5G is done my the world's top scientists, universities, and industry. An area where China still lags. Companies like Huawei design their products based on standard 5G technology and use lots of high technology, like chips, provided by the world's top technology providers. That is an area where the US is still a leader and China lags behind.

 

EOD, it's not about China or the US. Huawei is 'ahead' because it is pushed and supported by its Communist Party dad to quickly get its equipment rooted into international markets in part for nefarious purposes.  

Concerns over Chinese involvement in 5G wireless networks

 

On your other comment that it is easy to find all the spyware, it is near impossible, technology is vastly complex. The Chinese have even been known to hide secret chips in motherboards that cannot be seen.

 

 

I happily accept what you say, it's not my field. I didn't say easy to find though. I heard that from a Phd in particle Physics, now a data scientist.

2 hours ago, gamini said:

Johnson is just becoming a puppet of the US just like Tony Blair

I suppose you mean poodle... 

19 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

UK to purge Huawei from 5G by 2027, angering China and pleasing Trump

Now this doesn't sound good for all those expected porridge exports to China... there goes the UK's trade balance... 

22 minutes ago, rabas said:

Such a US/China comparison has no relevance to how things work in the real world, though it may be a common misconception.  Huawei did not design 5G technology. This is done many large international consortiums including the ITU, International Telecommunications Union, and an industry consortium called the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), in itself made up of 7 regional consortiums covering the world. Standardization is a massive long term process that covers many areas of science and industry.

 

The research for the high-tech magic that makes 5G 5G is done many of the world's top scientists, universities, and industry. An area where China still lags behind. Companies like Huawei design their products based on standard 5G technology and use lots of high technology, like chips, provided by the world's top technology providers. That is an area where the US is still a leader and China lags behind.

 

EOD, it's not about China or the US. Huawei is 'ahead' because it is pushed and supported by its Communist Party dad to quickly get its equipment rooted into international markets in part for nefarious purposes.  

Concerns over Chinese involvement in 5G wireless networks

 

On your other comment that it is easy to find all the spyware, it is near impossible, the technology is vastly complex. The Chinese have even been known to hide secret chips in motherboards that cannot be seen.

 

 

Huawei may not be the proprietary designer but it holds the most 5G related patents and therefore holds the trump card. The patents will handicapped most telecommunication companies either in terms of royalties or delays in discriminatory terms. Even if companies will to go pass the patents and design themselves, it will mean a very long process to reach Huawei standard. The world wouldn't be a better place when scientific progress is stymied because of ones man inflated ego. 

1 hour ago, Nigel Garvie said:

US 5G technology is way behind Huawei, that's why the US are playing dirty, the security issues are a smokescreen. It is bits of electronic kit, they can be thoroughly checked by techs in the field with a brain. 

How would you describe China's contempt for patent law - answer obscene. However for people to pretend that every thing they do is derivative is absurd. They learnt well in the tech field and are now being highly innovative themselves. 

I don't completely agree with that analysis but not a bad stab at the reality.  I have said before that after thirty years of dealing with the Chinese in China I have seen them grow from amazing copyists to innovative and creative performers on many levels.  It is no surprise the world uses China for the majority of it's manufacturing needs.  The product quality is now second to none.  It is true that China has no moral compass when it comes to copy rights but they are not alone in that.

 

As for Britain's decision to do another U-turn, this time over Huawei, well it is just more embarrassment for the dysfunctional idiots in power.  Nothing really has changed and all the warnings were raised at the time and then poo-pooed  by Johnson.  To cancel it now put's Britain on the backfoot over the development of 5G.  As most IT people know, 5G is the upcoming tool for businesses and will be essential in the future.  The actually telephone side is fairly irrelevant but being two or three years behind in the development for business use is very damaging.

3 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

Huawei may not be the proprietary designer but it holds the most 5G related patents and therefore holds the trump card. The patents will handicapped most telecommunication companies either in terms of royalties or delays in discriminatory terms. Even if companies will to go pass the patents and design themselves, it will mean a very long process to reach Huawei standard. The world wouldn't be a better place when scientific progress is stymied because of ones man inflated ego. 

Huawei is a large, long time telecom company. I had to compete against them 20 years ago. However their patent lead is predominately in core patents, not across the whole spectrum of 5G technologies,  and comes to about 19% of the market,  which makes my point that 5G, as well as most modern high technology is highly globalized. 

 

As for being helpful (Cough! sorry, a spot of covid) Huawei's, and more directly the CCP's approach to the well being of the world's scientific progress is most destructive. Just last week Chris Wray of the FBI stated China's theft of intellectual property alone is the greatest transfer of wealth in human history.   Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of China and Chinese, just not the CCP.