Huawei: What would happen if the UK ditched the Chinese firm?

The consequences could affect how quickly, and how much it will cost, improved internet access is rolled out. It is a moment when the economy of the world is still in a fragile situation, owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

The cause for a potential rethink is the decision by the US to limit the ability of the group to buy chips, which was justified for "national security purposes."

Check on new article- Step to avoid banking frauds in whats app

The consequences could affect how quickly improved internet access is rolled out and how much it will cost. This a time when the country's economy is already in a precarious state because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The catalyst for a potential rethink is the US's move to restrict the firm's ability to buy chips, which was justified on "national security grounds".

On Sunday, the UK's National Security Centre (NCSC) confirmed it was examining what impact this would have on the UK networks that use Huawei's tech.That sounds quite vague. But it potentially paves the way for a government U-turn.

The prime minister gave the green light in January for continued use of the company's tech in mobile and broadband networks, but said its market share must be reduced.

Then he may understand the potential for a change of mind. This will help Boris Johnson avoid the derailment of his upcoming Telecoms Infrastructure Bill from backbenchers who support a ban.

This also gives him a way to defuse tensions with the White House, which has said Huawei 's continued use would have "a drastic effect on our ability to exchange [security] information."

Mr Johnson and President Trump could meet at a mooted G7 summit next month. Blocking Huawei could help to secure a post-Brexit trade agreement, even though it made China's ties trickier.

"More suppliers mean greater competitiveness, creativity and efficiency of the network, which crucially means that customers have access to the best available equipment," Victor Zhang, UK head of Huawei, told the BBC.

"Removing Huawei would significantly delay 5 G, costing the British economy up to £7bn," he said, referencing a report by Mobile UK, a trade association representing UK network operators, released last year.

'Spending time'

Part of the reason why mobile providers are concerned is that the current version of 5 G relies on plugging new equipment from the same vendor into existing 4 G kit.

"When an extra mast antenna was fitted, a lot of the 4 G expansion was software-upgradable to do 5 G," explained Andrew Ferguson, editor-in - chief of the ThinkBroadband news site.

So, he added, even if the new technology was limited to a Huawei ban, networks would still have to rip out and replace some of their older infrastructure.
"It's not only a very costly process for the operators, but it's also going to be time-consuming as they need to get access to all those sites to make the changes," said Assembly's Matthew Howett, the consultancy that wrote the Mobile UK report.

"And Huawei has been very creative in designing the smallest and lightest 5 G equipment, which means that operators may often only use a cherry picker to hook it onto existing mast networks. Some of the others are heavier and more cumbersome, which could entail more in terms of securing planning consent and road closure."

Huawei 's main 5 G competitors are Nokia and Ericsson-two European firms. The networks claim that having three vendors to choose from lets them negotiate lower prices.

In certain situations, they want a combination of two suppliers so that they can fall back on the other to offer a reduced service if technical issues occur with the one.

A study commissioned by Huawei last year claimed that locking it out would increase the 5 G investment costs of a country by between 8 and 29 percent due to reduced competition.

And if telecom operators need to invest more, customers can expect their bills to increase too. But one MP opposed to the rollout of Huawei says there are more critical considerations.

"There is an element of free and fair competition here, there is an element of security, there is an element of data-privacy, and there is also a sort of geopolitics of Chinese influence-the influence of the Chinese Communist Party," Bob Seely, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, told the BBC NEWS.

"High-risk vendors shouldn't be in the communications network on principle." Huawei claims that it uses state subsidies to weaken its competitors, adding that it will never spy on behalf of China or otherwise knowingly compromis its customers.

Thank You.