Huawei may ask the United Kingdom to delay its removal from 5G network in the country, the Sunday Times reported.
Huawei executives have asked for a meeting with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson before a plan for its removal is approved, the report said. The Chinese company will urge the government to delay its plan to remove the company from its 5G network until the next election in 2025 with hopes of the new government reversing this decision. It will maintain its remaining equipment used in 2G, 3G and 4G networks in return, as per the report.
UK’s plan
The UK is planning to phase out Huawei’s equipment from its 5G network owing to security risks. The United States has recently imposed various sanctions on the Chinese company banning the company from using American technology and equipment.
UK’s National Security Council has warned the government that this could pose national security risks, BBC reported.
Telecom companies BT and Vodafone had said that the loss of Huawei equipment due to its removal before 2025 could lead to a loss in phone coverage according to the Sunday Times report.
Huawei VP Victor Zhang earlier this week had urged the UK government to not make any “hasty decisions.”
“Concerning the US restrictions on #Huawei, Victor Zhang, VP @Huawei, said, "Now is not the time to be hasty in making such a crucial decision about us. It’s too early to assess the long-term impact of the US restrictions," Huawei UK had tweeted.
"This vital decision could impact the 'gigabit' broadband strategy and through that the future of the UK’s digital economy. It’s important to wait until all facts and implications are fully understood," he added.
Johnson is set to meet with security advisers or July 14 to review the report and to devise a plan for Huawei’s removal from 5G network in the UK as per the BBC report.
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