The UK has banned the use of equipment manufactured by Huawei in the development of 5G networks. Operators must stop purchasing company’s new devices by December 31, 2020.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson developed the corresponding plan. According to it, the UK should become more self-sufficient and less dependent on China.
But as stated in the government, this decision was made after adopting new US sanctions against Huawei. US authorities have banned any companies from using US software or technology to cooperate with the Chinese manufacturer. For example, in May, it became known that Taiwan's largest semiconductor manufacturer TSMC stopped accepting new orders from Huawei.
But for the UK, the refusal to cooperate with Huawei threatens economic and political problems. Earlier, the head of the HSBC Bank warned the government of possible conflicts with China in the case of a refusal of Huawei equipment.
In the UK, 5G networks have been actively implemented for several years. The main part of the equipment was from Huawei, which is the leader in the number of patents related to 5G network technology.
Now, operators will have to spend money on replacing equipment from the Chinese company, which should be removed from 5G networks by the end of 2027. This way, the development of 5G technology in the UK will be delayed.