Huawei and Britain’s 5G decision: managing the risks
I joined Al Jazeera on 28 January 2020, following the Johnson government’s decision to allow Huawei a limited role in Britain’s 5G rollout. Having left Huawei, I was then teaching international trade at the University of Adelaide.
My view was that this was a sensible decision. The security of a telecommunications network depends on its points of vulnerability, devices and users, rather than simply the country in which a supplier is headquartered. I pointed to the UK security authorities’ assessment that the risks associated with Huawei could be managed through technical measures.
We also discussed the compromise of allowing Huawei into the radio access network while excluding it from the core. I noted that this still left Huawei competing in an important part of the network where it had considerable commercial and technological strengths.
Finally, I questioned how credible Washington’s threat to restrict intelligence sharing with Britain really was. That cooperation benefits both countries. Cutting Britain off could also undermine American interests, which was why I thought the threat might ultimately prove hollow.
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- Is Huawei a threat to cybersecurity? — 2020-01-31
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Listing photo: Durgesh Kumar / Pexels. Illustrative image.
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