UK set to approve limited 5G role for Huawei

Financial Times ^ | 27 Jan 2020 | George Parker, Nic Fildes

[Cronos]

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Boris Johnson is expected to approve a restricted role for Huawei in Britain’s 5G network on Tuesday, with ministers looking to impose a new cap on the market share the Chinese telecoms company can take in the UK.

Mr Johnson has been under intense pressure from Washington — including from president Donald Trump last Friday — to ban Huawei from the entire network. The US claims the company poses a security risk and threatens UK-US intelligence sharing.

Mike Pompeo, US secretary of state, wrote on Twitter on Sunday night that the UK had a “momentous decision ahead on 5G”, a sign of continued efforts to persuade London to follow Washington’s lead.

The UK prime minister is now looking at imposing a market share cap on Huawei, according to people close to the discussions, in an attempt to bring other suppliers in and to avoid over-reliance on the Chinese company.

A final decision on Huawei’s future role in the UK will be taken at the National Security Council on Tuesday. Downing Street insisted no final decisions had been taken, but government officials admit that ministers’ options are limited.

[Zhang Fei]

Looks like the Five Eyes are about to become the Four Eyes. Thanks for nothing, Boris.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Eyes

[dp0622]

Whatcha think?

I don’t know nearly enough about 5G to know what goodies could be supplied to the Chinese govt that would be a danger to us.

[Zhang Fei]

ABCA Armies? How about ACA Armies? What is the ding-a-ling Boris thinking?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABCANZ_Armies

[Cronos]

It depends on how limited the access would be. If this is just civilian, then the risk is limited, but not nonexistent.

huawei is obliged to share data with the Chinese government - unlike Nokia or Ericson.

I wouldn’t sign over to Huawei for that reason

[Candor7]

No More US/Israeli Intel sharing with the Progressive One World Brits.

Brexit is not yet deep enough to disassemble the socialist scolds of Britannia.

NO Way Hua Wei!

[Enlightened1]

China owns the U.K. now.

China has figured it is just cheaper to buy politicians than anything else.

This is why China and the D.C. Establishment hate President Trump. They cannot buy out a Billionaire that does not need any money.

[Enlightened1]

Did you know 5G is banned in Israel because of potential health issues?

A 5G network has to be a lot bigger than the current 4G network. I am talking about 5 to 10 times bigger. The good news is that it will take a while to build out. If it does have the impact to health like many say, then it will be one lawsuit after the next.

[Candor7]

Is that health issue fro radiation?

5G tans?

[Enlightened1]

I am not sure what is the root cause, but you are probably correct.

[mewzilla]

Well, since the UK is still part of INSTEX, this decision shouldn’t come as a surprise.

[montag813]

Small nations like the UK have a harder time fighting the ChiComs. It really is criminal how Bush and Obama squandered trillions while China enriched and empowered themselves.

[Zhang Fei]

[Well, since the UK is still part of INSTEX, this decision shouldn’t come as a surprise.]

---

INSTEX is a nothingburger. Any European company that provides goods or services related to an INSTEX transfer to/from sanctioned countries is frozen out of the US market. Executives in European companies that remain in the US market and do these prohibited transactions are subject to arrest everywhere the FBI has any kind of writ. Doesn’t matter how many removes and shell companies they set up as intermediate cut-outs. Very few European companies are gonna subject their executives to this kind of legal jeopardy until the US is a much smaller market for them than it currently is. The arrest of Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou isn’t just a warning shot targeted at Chinese execs. If Uncle Sam is willing to take on the junkyard dog that is the Chinese state, whose creature Meng is, European execs are basically mulch before the wood chipper of American hard power.

[arthurus]

And all the data that goes through a HuaWei device goes straight to China. HuaWei is the cheaper supplier for a reason. The Chinese government doesn’t have to make a cash profit. An Intelligence profit is worth much more.

[gibsonguy]

So now GB is trading the EU for China

[Cronos]

I'm not so sure of that. There are Nine companies sell 5G radio hardware and 5G systems for carriers: Altiostar, Cisco Systems, Datang Telecom, Ericsson, Huawei, Nokia, Qualcomm, Samsung, and ZTE.

huawei - from my friends who work in Ericcson and Nokia - is at the same level of quality as the others, but is far cheaper

Though yes, small nations like the UK have a harder time fighting the ChiCom -- that's why the small nations of europe band together in the eu

[Cronos]

I don't think you can call them one-world --> or indeed any country that. Except for some folks in the UN and elsewhere, no leader believes in one-world as that would mean giving up power

Progressiveness, this has nothing to do with, nor with socialism

It's about price - there are 9 vendors for 5G, out of which 3 are Chinese.

[Cronos]

well, as a smaller economy without putting up a united front with other smaller economies...

[sinsofsolarempirefan]

Technical experts suggest that by excluding Huawei from the core of the 5g network, the risk is minimised. Huawei components won’t be embeded in military instalations etc so this is a fuss abuot nothing.