UK to allow Huawei to build parts of 5G network

Great Britain will reportedly allow Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei to build parts of its 5G network, snubbing the U.S.’s repeated claims that Huawei poses an insurmountable security threat.

The United Kingdom will allow Huawei restricted access to its next-generation wireless network, according to The Daily Telegraph, after the U.S. asked its allies to refuse to incorporate Huawei products into their infrastructure.

Huawei, the largest producer of telecommunications equipment in the world, will reportedly be allowed to build noncore parts of the U.K.’s 5G infrastructure, including antennas. 

{mosads}The U.S. has cast Huawei as a national security threat, alleging that its technology can be accessed by Chinese intelligence, and has asked U.S. allies to institute a ban on its products. 

The CIA recently accused Huawei of being backed by China’s state security apparatus.

A source told Reuters that the U.K. would block Huawei from “core” parts of its 5G network while restricting access to other parts.

Some British lawmakers opposed the U.K.’s planned move, deriding Huawei as a part of the Chinese intelligence apparatus.

“Allowing Huawei into the U.K.’s 5G infrastructure would cause allies to doubt our ability to keep data secure and erode the trust essential to Five Eyes cooperation,” Tom Tugendhat, the chairman of Britain’s Foreign Affairs Committee, said, according to Reuters.

U.S. allies have been bucking the Trump administration’s attempts to block Huawei from their networks, as critics say the U.S.’s aggressive campaign against the company has little evidence and stems from its desire to win the worldwide “race” to 5G. 

The U.S. says Huawei could use its products to spy on its customers, pointing to its ties to the Chinese state government. Huawei has denied those charges.