Philip Jansen, CEO of British telecoms company BT, said that any government move that requires the immediate exclusion of Huawei kit from existing communications infrastructure could cause network disruption for mobile device users. Therefore, the Huawei ban poses many security for both the UK and its citizens.
Huawei has raised concerns among Western governments, including the US, due to its large role in providing international networks and 5G, but also due to its close ties to the Chinese government. This has raised fears and concerns about its equipment, which is estimated to threaten countries' cybersecurity, as well as weaken their national security. In particular, the UK government is expected to announce a policy change tomorrow, as it has said it plans to take a different tack against so-called "high-risk" suppliers and that it will gradually stop using such kit in 5G networks by 2023.
Jansen said in an interview that he did not know the details of any new government policy, but he warned that quickly banning Huawei equipment carries risks. As an example, he mentioned the fact that the ban means that someone will not be able to buy or do business with Huawei, so they will not be able to receive upgrades . He also added that within the next five years, 15-20 major software upgrades were expected, under normal circumstances. Without these upgrades, there will be gaps in critical software, which could have very serious security implications. In addition, in such quick decisions, the potential service for mobile phone customers is called into question, as they are very likely to face severe outages.
In January, the UK government issued a policy statement on so-called “high-risk” 5G suppliers, detailing a package of restrictions it said were intended to mitigate any risk, including limiting their participation to 35% of access . Such suppliers would be banned entirely from the sensitive “core” of 5G networks. However, the UK has faced ongoing international and domestic opposition to the compromise policy.
As for BT banning all Huawei kit, not just the equipment used for 5G, Jansen said it would take the company at least a decade to do so. He believes it will take at least ten years to completely ban Huawei from the telecommunications infrastructure across the UK. If the government's policy is limited to just banning this kit from 5G networks, Jansen said that "ideally" BT would like seven years to carry out this task.
Jansen also warned the Johnson, which wants to accelerate the rollout of fibre wired broadband across the country as part of its commitment to “upgrade” the UK, that a swift and strict ban on Huawei kit would jeopardise this future endeavour. He suggested that “common sense” should prevail. Specifically, he stressed that the rollout of fibre wired broadband and 5G is a huge opportunity for the economy, the country and all citizens of the UK, so the government should strike the right balance in managing this complex issue.
