Despite U.S. pressure to ban Huawei, the British government is preparing to include the company in its 5G plans, according to Reuters.
The U.S. has already banned Huawei and has engaged in a campaign for its allies to do the same, citing allegations the telecommunications giant serves as a way for Beijing to spy on governments and companies around the world. There have even been threats of limiting intel sharing with countries that use Huawei, something that would have profound impacts on the U.S. and UK’s “special relationship.”
According to Reuters, Britain is trying to thread the needle by considering an option that would include Huawei, but limit it “from the sensitive, data-heavy ‘core’ part of the network and restricted government systems, closely mirroring a provisional decision made last year under former Prime Minister Theresa May.”
Any concession toward Huawei is likely to strain relations with the U.S. but, as Reuters points out, Britain is also trying to balance its trade with China and the warnings of telecom operators that banning Huawei would significantly raise the cost of 5G deployment.
A final decision is expected next week.
