UK Government Delays Decision On Huawei 5G, Considers US Relations In Deal

The United Kingdom government has recently delayed on deciding if it’ll take the Huawei deal on establishing its 5G infrastructure. The UK was mostly leaning on accepting the deal but has reconsidered in part of its security partnership with the U.S. The decision now rests on the next set of leaders after the 2019 UK general elections later this year.

According to culture secretary Nicky Morgan, the UK is delaying the deal until after the 2019 UK elections on December 12. Morgan said that the decision on this deal should rest on the next government. For now, the UK government will have to conclude its elections first before resuming the Huawei 5G deal.

The UK is also considering the deal in light of the U.S. government’s stance against using Huawei technology in the country. The U.S. government is currently discouraging its allies, including India and the UK, from using Huawei’s 5G technology as it could be a gateway to spy on their data. Huawei has repeatedly denied the allegations about its technology being able to spy on its owners and users in any way.

Both the U.S. and the UK are in the Five-Eyes Alliance which is an intelligence sharing deal. The UK is also reviewing if there any possible problems to its U.S. relations if it goes through with the Huawei deal.

So far, Huawei’s effort to sell its 5G infrastructure to other countries has not been successful. Its efforts in India are also leaning toward the government agreeing on the deal. However, pressure from the U.S. prevents the projects from getting fully approved and put into motion.

As of now, Huawei’s products are currently barred from getting sold in the U.S. Any of its newer products like the new Mate 30 and Nova 5T may never be sold in the country as long as the trade ban is still active. The company’s restrictions are providing Huawei’s rivals, such as Apple and Samsung, to flourish in the region. For now, Huawei has yet to enjoy some major success in selling its 5G technology due to the U.S. pressure.