Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Wednesday, Oct 01, 2025

Fresh UK review into Huawei role in 5G networks

The UK government is conducting a new review into the impact of allowing Huawei telecoms equipment to be used in British 5G networks.

The National Cyber Security Centre involvement comes after the US brought in fresh sanctions on the Chinese company, citing security fears.

In January, the UK resisted US pressure to ban Huawei from contributing to 5G.

A UK government spokesman said: "The security and resilience of our networks is of paramount importance."

"Following the US announcement of additional sanctions against Huawei, the NCSC is looking carefully at any impact they could have to the UK's networks."

The sanctions restrict Huawei from using US technology and software to design its semiconductors.

The US Department of Commerce is concerned Huawei has flouted regulations implemented last year that require the firm to obtain a licence in order to export US items. It says Huawei got around this rule by using US semiconductor manufacturing equipment at factories in other countries.


'Reliable network'


The UK government had previously approved a limited role for Huawei in building the country's new mobile networks.

The tech giant was banned from supplying kit to "sensitive parts" of the network, known as the core. In addition, it is only allowed to account for 35% of the kit in a network's periphery, which includes radio masts.

UK mobile operators were told by the NCSC - part of the intelligence agency GCHQ - that they would have three years to comply with caps on the use of Huawei equipment in their networks.

Responding to the review, Victor Zhang, vice-president at Huawei, said: "Our priority remains to continue the rollout of a reliable and secure 5G networks across Britain."

He added: "We are happy to discuss with NCSC any concerns they may have and hope to continue the close working relationship we have enjoyed for the last 10 years."

Critics argue it is a security risk to allow the Chinese company to play any role at all in the UK's 5G network, due to of fears it could be used by Beijing to spy on or even sabotage communications.

In March, a backbench rebellion within the Conservative party signalled efforts to overturn the move. And on 4 April, a group of 15 Conservative MPs called for a rethink on relations with China in their own letter to the Prime Minister, written a day before he was admitted to hospital.

In response, Huawei wrote an open letter to the UK government, urging it not to "disrupt" Huawei's involvement in the rollout of 5G.

Huawei stressed that the coronavirus pandemic had placed "significant pressure" on British telecoms systems and highlighted how many people in the country - particularly those living in rural communities - do not have good access to the internet.

5G, which promises faster mobile internet data speeds, a stable network that can handle more connections, and more bandwidth for a multitude of different technological applications, has been touted as being a way to bridge the digital divide in areas where broadband internet rollouts have been inconsistent.

According to latest data released by Huawei, the firm has so far won 91 5G contracts across the world.

Huawei has always denied that it would help the Chinese government attack one of its clients.

The firm's founder has said he would "shut the company down" rather than aid "any spying activities".

Three out of four of the UK's mobile networks had already decided to use and deploy Huawei's 5G products outside the core in the "periphery", namely Vodafone, EE and Three.

Two of them - Vodafone and EE - now face having to reduce their reliance on the supplier, as more than 35% of their existing radio access network equipment was made by it.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
×