Huawei was approved by the Boris Johnson government to build the infrastructure for the 5G network in the UK. But the Boris government has backed away from this move. Last January, the UK government decided to phase out Huawei’s presence in the telecom sector. The Boris Johnson government called the move “national security concerns.” The UK is seeking a complete ban on 5G’s strategic areas within three years and a 35 per cent WAVE presence elsewhere. It will be completely banned by the year 2027.
But telecom companies say it will take at least five to seven years. Howard Watson, BT Group’s chief technology and information officer, told the parliamentary committee that it was impossible to replace Huawei’s equipment in three years.
‘If we try to implement this fast, the signals of 2G to 4G and 5G consumers in the country can be completely disrupted. They responded that we think the government will not take that path. The signal can be interrupted for at least one day and in some areas for two days, ”said Howard Watson.
Huawei is a global Chinese company in the field of infrastructure for 5G services. Telecom companies have openly stated that the sudden omission of Huawei will exacerbate the problems and that an alternative facility will not be readily available. The United States has imposed restrictions on companies that manufacture and supply materials for Huawei. According to telecom experts, this will affect the operations of Huawei by early next year.
BT and Vodafone had earlier warned that the WAVE ban would further destabilize the British economy, which has been in crisis since Covid. The companies said the sudden ban would cost billions of pounds. Both companies have used WAVE devices to deliver 5G in the UK.
According to the British government, telecom companies should reduce their relationship with Huawei to 35% by 2023. Vodafone is a company that will not be affected if the British government implements this proposal. This is because Vodafone Huawei devices are not used in strategic areas. Only one-third of the infrastructure required for 5G is used by Wavy devices. The rest is provided by Vodafone to Ericsson. A Vodafone spokesperson said that even then, Huawei should be allowed to continue for at least five years.
BT has used more Huawei devices than Vodafone. Huawei devices are among the strategic components of BT’s 5G services. Two-thirds of 5G facilities in cities, including cities, have had to use BTW devices. Therefore, BT estimates that it will cost around 500 500 million (approximately Rs 4,732 crore) to replace WAVE. That is why BT has asked for a seven-year delay to control WAVE.
BT and Vodafone have rejected a proposal to update 4G and build a 5G network. The companies explain that 5G technology cannot be brought above 4G and that customer service will not be disrupted only if the facilities of 5G technology are developed in parallel.
