Huawei's UK decision leaves 5G policy to politicians

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• Huawei's UK decision leaves 5G policy to politicians

So here we are. Almost a year after we expected the decision, the government has at least clarified the role Huawei can play in the UK's 5G rollout. The theme has been a complex political hot potato, repeatedly set back by the events at Westminster and likely influenced by Washington. National newspapers and television stations are already portraying the decision as a major challenge to UK-US relations. Meanwhile, politicians of some political persuasion suggest that the country has exposed itself to unnecessary security risks.

Huawei UK

But from an industry perspective, little has changed. Operators will be allowed to use "high risk vendor" kits on the radio layers of their network but not on sensitive parts, and only for 35% of their networks. This limit applies to network and site traffic levels rather than population coverage. Prime Minister Boris Johnson hopes he has struck a balance between appeasing Donald Trump and ensuring the UK establishes a leadership position in 5G. As the UK fell behind Asia and the US in the 4G race, early launches, strong government support and a dynamic startup ecosystem mean Britain is well positioned for the next generation of networks. Denying operators access to Huawei equipment would have increased costs and reduced innovation, jeopardizing this position. Outsiders may conclude that the decision will not satisfy either side of the argument, but in reality the government has essentially formalized existing practice. No carrier plans to use Huawei equipment on the mainnet, when all intend to use a mix of kits from different vendors.

(Image credit: Shutterstock) While it remains to be seen how imposing a cap will influence relationships with other providers such as Ericsson and Nokia, operators can deploy 5G with the confidence that they won't have to retire their kit due to a whim of the government. Huawei also welcomed the move, as did the UK tech industry. "The rollout of 5G and full fiber broadband will support the UK's economic transformation over the next decade," techUK said. "Today's decision shows how to deploy 5G quickly and securely. This gives companies deploying this infrastructure the clarity they need to build and build out their networks." The US reaction is just a guess. Although some countries, including Australia and Japan, have followed suit and banned Huawei, pressure from Washington has had no real impact in Europe. Germany, for example, has pushed for a vendor-neutral approach to network security. In fact, the position of the United Kingdom could influence the decisions taken by the different governments and the EU. Today's decision is far from ending the question. It is also possible that the ceiling will also pose additional problems, especially since government directives suggest that it could be reconsidered in the future. In fact, BT has already admitted that the decision will cost it €500 million and that other operators will have to find various suppliers. But at least for now, carriers and the broader mobile ecosystem can continue to roll out 5G and let the politicians argue.