UK prepares to end use of Huawei’s tech in 5G network

London, July 5 (IANS) Amid UK-China face off over Hong Kong, Chinese tech giant, Huawei, could be cut out of UK’s 5G network this year, say reports.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to make a major policy change after GCHQ, intelligence and security organisation responsible for providing signals intelligence to the government and armed forces of the UK, is believed to have reassessed the risks posed by the Chinese technology company, newspapers have said.

A report by GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre has decided the US sanctions barring Huawei from using technology relying on American intellectual property has had a severe impact on the company, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

The newspaper said officials are crafting proposals to prevent new Huawei equipment being installed in the 5G network in as little as six months.

A study set to be presented to Johnson this week will declare that US sanctions on Huawei will force the company to use technology that is “untrusted”, reports said.

The Mail on Sunday reported that the National Cyber Security Centre was instructed to carry out a review on the situation. It also reported the organisation found that US sanctions had a major impact on the firm’s viability, the newspaper said.

The involvement of the company in Britain’s 5G network also caused concern among a number of prominent figures on the Conservative backbenches.

It is reported that GCHQ found that the US sanctions had a major impact on the firm’s viability.

The prime minister’s decision to allow Huawei a limited role in Britain’s 5G network had caused tension between London and Washington DC in recent months.

–IANS

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