It seems British security officials are not on the same page. The UK, a long-time first-base ally for the United States does not support a full ban on Huawei technology from its networks. “We don’t favor a complete ban. It’s not that simple” a source told Reuters today. Huawei is the world’s largest manufacturer of telecoms equipment but is largely untrusted in the West. The company has often been accused of acting as a gateway for the Chinese government to spy on other nations and their people. No public evidence has ever been offered to support the claims, and the company has always been in staunch denial. Still, the U.S. has pushed its allegations and asked allies to band the company’s equipment. While blanket bans have not been frequent, many countries have limited Huawei’s reach. A report in the Financial Times points to the British government believing it can prevent the risks and still use the company’s technology. FT sources said that was the assessment of the National Cyber Security Council (NCSC).
UK Problems
Huawei has already faced issues in the UK, which is becoming an increasingly important growth market. Vodafone, the world’s second largest mobile network, blocked the deployment of Huawei equipment until governments give the company security clearance. BT had previously already done the same. “As was made clear in July’s HCSEC oversight board, the NCSC has concerns around Huawei’s engineering and security capabilities. We have set out the improvements we expect the company to make,” an NCSC spokeswoman said on Monday.
