Huawei is apparently helping develop 5G networks for all four of the UK’s major mobile phone operators (yet the British government has not officially confirmed if the Chinese tech giant will be allowed to build the next generation of wireless infrastructure).

Such discovery may well increase tensions between the UK and the US, which has taken a firm stand against the company amid claims the company spies on behalf of the Chinese government. The Observer has reported that Huawei is already involved in building 5G networks in six of the seven cities in the UK where Vodafone offers coverage. The company is also helping build hundreds of 5G sites for EE, and has secure 5G contracts to build networks for Three and O2 when such finally operate.

“UK Telecom giant uses Huawei technology for 5G launch” by CGTN

Matthew Howett a London-based telecoms analyst believes that reliance on a single supplier for a cellular network is “dangerous”. He notes that a major failure in Ericsson equipment left O2 users without 3G and LTE service for a full day, and if everyone had been using similar hardware, the UK as a whole may have suffered the same issues.

Howett also thinks not allowing Huawei 5G in the UK might delay 5G networks launches by up to two years. And that’s a key concern as well for many nations beyond the British Isles. You know how it goes… the tech trade war continues. 👹