Preiskel & CoPreiskel & Co
Preiskel & Co
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Diversity, Social Responsibility, and Pro Bono
  • Services
    • Corporate
    • Commercial
    • Regulatory
    • Competition & Antitrust
    • Data Protection, Privacy, and Retention
    • Intellectual Property
    • Dispute Resolution
    • Employment
  • Sectors
    • Telecommunications
    • IT, Technology, & Internet
    • Media and Broadcasting
    • Websites, Blogging, & Social Media
    • Film & Television
    • Gambling & Online Gaming
    • Leisure & Retail
    • Energy & Minerals
    • Cryptocurrency & Blockchain
    • Creative Industries
  • People
    • Daniel Preiskel
    • Ronnie Preiskel
    • Tim Cowen
    • Jose Saras
    • Robert Dougans
    • Tina Cowen
    • D A T Green
    • Karthyaeni Vittala
    • Richard Stewart
    • Mor Swiel
    • Ilanit Appelfeld
    • Stephen Dnes
    • Daniel Oakland
    • Robert Harvey
    • Martina Raciti
    • Joanna Coombs-Huang
    • Xavier Prida
    • Mark Clough
    • Stewart White
    • Alison MacFarlane
    • Hannah Leader
    • Peter Dally
    • Antony Corel
    • Sue Warwick
    • Shardi Shameli
    • Stephen Hornsby
    • Ewelina Korgol
    • Maria Constantin
    • Sophia Yakhno
  • International
  • Blog
  • News
    • Publications
  • Contact
Menu back  

UK Government orders Huawei removal from UK 5G networks

July 27, 2020By Preiskel & Co

The UK government has warned that Huawei must be removed from Britain’s 5G phone networks by 2027, due to concerns over security risks.

Huawei is reported to have close ties to the Chinese government and military establishment, which has raised national security concerns. The move comes after US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo’s speech last month declaring that “the tide is turning against Huawei as citizens around the world are waking up to the danger of the Chinese Communist Party’s surveillance state”. New US sanctions in May, part of a long dispute in relation to the company, reduced Huawei’s ability to manufacture and obtain semiconductor chips using American-made technology.

On 14 July 2020, Oliver Dowden, the UK culture secretary, announced that no new Huawei 5G equipment can be bought after 31 December 2020. Many Conservative backbenchers have reportedly expressed disappointment that older 2G, 3G and 4G kit can remain in use until it is no longer needed, as many Conservatives would prefer Huawei to be banned altogether.

Dowden declared that the UK will be on an “irreversible path” to eliminate “high-risk vendors” including Huawei, in 5G by the time of the next general election in 2024. Dowden said new US sanctions imposed on the company in May had “significantly changed” the telecoms landscape. He also told MPs that the changes would result in “a cumulative delay to 5G roll out of two to three years and costs of up to £2bn” costs that many believe will be passed on to consumers. Dowden also emphasised the risk of a Chinese backlash against Britain, especially amid Brexit negotiations.

The decision demonstrates a dramatic U-turn on a previous decision to allow Huawei to supply 35% of the UK’s 5G equipment, and also a compromise with BT and Vodafone, who warned there could be phone “outages” if they were forced to act sooner that the year end. The move also represents a significant move from the UK government in respect of its relations with China.

The decision follows an increasing trend in Europe of amplified foreign investment review procedures expanding the government’s power to scrutinise a broader range of transactions for national security concerns. This includes amendments in 2018 to the Enterprise Act 2002, enabling the secretary of state to intervene on public interest cases for key infrastructure and enterprises that have a national security element. For more information on this topic, please see Preiskel & Co’s Chapter for Getting the Deal Through Foreign Investment Review 2020 here.This trend has accelerated in response to the Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic, as national governments seek to prevent research institutes being subject to foreign investment or takeovers which might see the benefit of treatment or vaccine breakthroughs taken away from their nations.

Please contact Tim Cowen if you have any questions regarding the UK or EU foreign direct investment regimes.

Latest Preiskel & Co blog posts
  • Claim against NHS Trust for breach of DPA 1998 and misuse of private information dismissed
    April 28, 2022
  • TikTok Class action for the Misuse of Child Personal Data
    April 28, 2022
  • ICO consultation on draft guidance for the research provisions within the UK GDPR and the DPA 2018
    April 20, 2022
  • European Strategy for Artificial Intelligence – a framework to regulate AI and its potential impact on the UK
    April 19, 2022
  • Meta hit by 17 million euro fine by Irish regulator
    April 19, 2022
  • Ofcom has mandated that telecoms providers ensure British Sign Language (BSL) for 999
    March 18, 2022
  • Ofcom publishes statement on the future of telephone numbers
    March 15, 2022
  • German court sends biometric data questions to the ECJ
    February 23, 2022
  • Meta fined £1.5m by CMA
    February 7, 2022
  • International data transfer agreement and addendum laid before Parliament
    February 4, 2022
  • CMA publishes statement of scope in music and streaming market study
    February 1, 2022
  • Google Privacy Sandbox faces European Commission complaint from German publishers
    January 24, 2022

The Preiskel Blog

  • Claim against NHS Trust for breach of DPA 1998 and misuse of private information dismissed 28 Apr 2022
  • TikTok Class action for the Misuse of Child Personal Data 28 Apr 2022
  • ICO consultation on draft guidance for the research provisions within the UK GDPR and the DPA 2018 20 Apr 2022
  • European Strategy for Artificial Intelligence – a framework to regulate AI and its potential impact on the UK 19 Apr 2022

Preiskel news

  • Daniel Preiskel and Xavier Prida lecturing to Academia Mexicana del Derecho Informático and Abogado Digital
  • Preiskel & Co advises Mexico-based premium content production company Dopamine
  • Danny Preiskel was ranked as a Global Elite Thought Leader in Telecoms & Media by WhosWhoLegal Data 2022
  • Danny Preiskel featured in GCCM (Global Carrier Community Magazine)
Preiskel tweets
  • @jwrosewell @m4aow @w3c @IABTechLab Our pleasure!61 days ago
  • RT @jwrosewell: Great work from @Preiskel and the whole @m4aow team. Thank you. Much for @w3c, @IABTechLab, and others to consider in this…61 days ago
  • RT @TC_4KBW: Google’s battle with publishers shows that at every turn it seeks to block others from competing. it blocked header bidding, b…61 days ago
Preiskel & Co LLP
4 King's Bench Walk,
Temple,
London
EC4Y 7DL
United Kingdom

Tel: +44 20 7332 5640
Email: info@preiskel.com

Find us on:

TwitterLinkedinMail
© Preiskel & Co LLP 2022 | Site map | Legal notices | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Privacy | Fraud Notice