Despite espionage fears, UK security chiefs have given the green light for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to allow Chinese tech giant Huawei to provide Britain's 5G networks, a media report said on Sunday.
A senior security source told The Mail newspaper on Sunday that "the balance between national security and the economic benefit to the UK is something we are confident we can manage". The Prime Minister is due to convene his National Security Council in the third week of January to make a decision on whether the Chinese firm could be trusted to provide elements of the vital upgrade.
Preliminary discussions recommended excluding the firm from "core" aspects of the British network. But it was understood that security service bosses have given their blessing to a plan to allow Huawei to supply "non core" elements such as antennae for high-speed mobile internet.
However, such a move risks a row with the US, which takes a harder line on China. The National Security Council has previously been warned that blocking Huawei's access to the UK's 5G network risks leaving Britain in the technological dark age. Huawei has consistently denied espionage allegations.
What is 5G?
5G is undoubtedly one of the best technologies of 2019. The fifth generation of wireless cellular networks began hogging the limelight this year, and some network carriers and hardware manufacturers especially, smartphone makes like Samsung, Huawei and OnePlus went ahead and launched phones capable of supporting 5G speeds.
Of course, the speeds are insane, but 5G developed by Huawei didn't become a widespread technology due to limitations in infrastructure and espionage allegations. The true potential of the technology was only shown at events and at particular spots. But in the coming year, more manufacturers as well as service providers will jump on the 5G bandwagon, which only means one thing – the technology will become a bigger deal and more people will have access to it, thanks to our most beloved piece of technology, smartphones which will herald the new era of cellular communication and more.
(With additional inputs from the Desk)
