British government will allow Huawei to participate on its 5G – but there is a catch

Chinese manufacturing giant, Huawei, has been at loggerheads with the US for multiple reasons. The U.S. government has reasons to believe that Huawei’s 5G is not safe and it has backdoors to spy on users. To this end, it (US) is making sure that its allies do not have anything to do with Huawei’s 5G. No doubt, Huawei, is one of the top 5G companies in the world. Its absence in any nation means that the competition will be low. According to China Daily, the British government announced today that it will allow “high-risk vendors” to provide equipment for its 5G network infrastructure.

Specifically, the UK government will allow Huawei to help build the UK’s next-generation ultra-high-speed wireless 5G network. However, this is not as simple and straightforward as it sounds.  Huawei will only be allowed to participate in its 5G “non-core” construction. Furthermore, Huawei will not operate at addresses involving nuclear energy and military facilities. Finally, Huawei’s 5G market share in the UK must not exceed 35%.

According to government sources, despite the risks of choosing Huawei, there are no other alternatives in the 5G market for a short period of time. Without Huawei, the UK’s 5G will be will fall 2 to 3 years behind. This will have a negative impact on 5G potential users in the UK. Huawei will be able to provide 35% of 5G network peripherals, including radio base stations.

Huawei’s response to the British government stand

According to the Securities Times, Huawei has an official response for the latest stance by the UK’s government. The company confirms that it is ready to cooperate with customers to maintain the progress of 5G deployment. Zhang Jiangang, vice president of Huawei, said that Huawei has provided cutting-edge technology for British telecommunications operators for more than 15 years. The company will continue to work on the basis of this good record to provide support for customers in investing in 5G networks, promote economic growth, and help the UK maintain global competitiveness.