Britain to make Huawei decision on 5G by the autumn

LONDON: Britain will make a decision on whether to allow China’s Huawei equipment to be used in its 5G networks in the autumn, the digital minister Nicky Morgan said.

“We will make the right decision for the UK. I would hope we could do something by the autumn,” Morgan told BBC radio, referring to the season that runs in Britain from mid September to December.

“We’ve got to make sure that this is going to be a decision for the long term, making sure that we keep all our networks secure.”

Huawei, the world’s biggest telecoms equipment maker, is under intense scrutiny after the United States told allies not to use the company’s technology because of fears it could be a vehicle for Chinese spying. Huawei has denied this.

Earlier this year, Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, China’s ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming defended Huawei as having a good track record on security and said Britain should “make decisions independently and in accordance with their national interests”.

“The last thing the world needs is the introduction of any sort of discriminatory measures toward companies involved in 5G network development. The last thing China expects from a truly open and fair ‘global Britain’ is a playing field that is not level,” he wrote.

Liu said security concerns about the development of 5G networks were understandable but could be managed.

“The risks should be taken seriously but risks must not be allowed to incite fear. They can be managed, provided countries and companies work together,” he said.