Huawei Gets Limited 5G Nod From UK

The United Kingdom has reportedly decided that Huawei telecommunications equipment should not be entirely banned from that country’s 5G networks, although the China-based vendor’s participation will be limited. A report from the Daily Telegraph said the U.K.’s National Security Council (NSC), chaired by Prime Minister Theresa May, had agreed to allow Huawei to contribute non-core parts of 5G mobile infrastructure such as the antennas. According to the Financial Times, May approved “in principle” a recent assessment by the National Cyber Security Centre that the risk from Huawei equipment could be mitigated. The decision has been presented by news outlets as either a defiant response to U.S. calls for a full ban on Huawei equipment or a blow to Huawei that could risk upsetting the Chinese government and cause problems for U.K. ministers as they seek new trade deals in a post-Brexit universe. It has certainly been a tough call for the British government. On one hand it faces strong pressure both from international trade partners and U.K. senior ministers to block Huawei over the perceived security threats.