Huawei Devices And Equipment Must Be Purged From The UK 5G Network By 2027, Says PM Boris Johnson

Mobile providers in the U.K. are being banned from buying new equipment or devices from Chinese firm Huawei. They are also ordered to purge all Huawei devices and equipment from the country's 5G network by 2027.

According to a report, Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden confirmed that the U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has given out the said order, reversing a previous decision in January to allow Huawei to supply nearly half of the U.K.'s non-core 5G network.

Johnson has given the British telecoms a seven-year lag to rip out all of Huawei's gears. In response, these providers said they were relieved of this decision as they feared they would be forced to right on remove all Huawei's devices and lose billions in the process.

The Prime Minister's decision comes from the rivalry between the United States and China, especially in the past year. Fears that the Chinese firm poses a security threat have flared and Johnson was forced to choose what he deemed would be for the security of the U.K.

U.S. President Donald Trump has also been pressuring Johnson to make decisions regarding the issue while China cited that billions of investments would be at stake if it chooses to side with the U.S. Dowden confirms that a law for the complete removal of Huawei in its networks will be in fully implemented by the next elections.

Other reasons for the turncoat were the sanctions on chip technology which hinted that Huawei may not be a reliable supplier. U.S. National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien added that the firm could be “beholden to the Chinese Communist Party”.

Liu Xiaoming who is the Chinese Ambassador to the U.K. said that the Prime Minister's decision was “disappointing and wrong”.

In terms of implications, the purging will delay U.K.'s 5G rollout for a period of two to three years in rough estimates. Costs that will be incurred in the process could reach 2 billion pounds.

In relation to the current global pandemic that has infected over 291,000 people from the U.K. and caused the deaths of more than 44,968 citizens, London has been under the perception that China did not tell the whole truth over the novel coronavirus outbreak.

China has been doubling its imports to the U.K. from 2003-2018 and is estimated to be worth 43 billion pounds.