UK announces new partnership with Japanese firm for 5G network after ban on China's Huawei

After imposing a ban on the Chinese telecom giant Huawei, the United Kingdom government on Monday, November 30 announced a new partnership with Japanese telecom firm NEC for the 5G network. UK's Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden said that British operators must stop installing any 'Huawei equipment' from September next year or an earlier date than expected, according to reports.

The British government decided to ban Huawei in July over security concerns. The move comes amid the heightened tension with Beijing over the issue of Hong Kong and pressure from Washington. 

"Today I am setting out a clear path for the complete removal of high-risk vendors from our 5G networks," Dowden was quoted as saying. "This will be done through new and unprecedented powers to identify and ban telecom equipment which poses a threat to our national security. We are also publishing a new strategy to make sure we are never again dependent on a handful of telecoms vendors for the smooth and secure running of our networks," he added.

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5G open radio access network by NEC

Meanwhile, NEC is expected to deliver a live 5G open Radio Access Network (RAN) to UK operators. This is a new way of building telecom networks where elements from different suppliers can be used in a single mobile network, within the UK in 2021, the report stated.

The decision is part of Downing Street's road map for the complete removal of high-risk vendor equipment from the UK's 5G networks, alongside a new 250 million pound ($333 million) strategy to diversify the telecom market with plans for a National Telecoms Lab and trials with NEC, according to South China Morning Post reports.

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UK to hold G7 presidency

By next year, the UK will hold the presidency of the Group of Seven nations, a platform it has hopes will expand to include India, South Korea, and Australia. It has identified 5G technology as a promising field for collaboration among the 10 democracies, or D10, the report further stated.

Also, UK phone companies will not be able to buy any new Huawei products after the end of this year under the British government's 5G plan. All existing equipment made by the Shenzhen-based company will be removed from the 5G infrastructure by 2027, as per reports.

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(With ANI inputs)