Huawei ban: What the government's major U-turn means for you

The UK government will ban Huawei equipment in a decision that could have wide-ranging effects on both international relations and everyday phone users.

The announcement – which followed months of concerns that the equipment could be used to spy on data networks and citizens – comes amid increasing pressure on Huawei and China from the US, and trade tensions between the two countries. It puts the UK firmly on the side of the US, which has already imposed sanctions on the company.

But aside from the geopolitics of the issue, the decision could mean significant changes for anyone who uses a phone in the UK.

The most obvious and probably significant change is that the work to strip Huawei out of the 5G network will delay the rollout of that technology by two to three years, as well as costing billions of pounds.

The introduction of 5G has been widely hailed as a potentially transformative technology, since it allows for much faster connections, not only for phones but for any other device that can talk to the internet.

Without that infrastructure, users may not be able to get the full value out of their 5G phones, some of which are already out, but many more of which will arrive over the coming months. Some of the more revolutionary applications for 5G – which have included the suggestion that small devices could be given reliable internet connections to make them smart, and the ability to conduct even surgery remotely – might also be held back if the technology is not there.

Apart from the delay in its introduction, there is likely to be no obvious change as a result of the move away from Huawei equipment. The products that power the infrastructure underlying mobile data connections are largely invisible to users, and the new network is expected to function in the same way after the change is complete.

The US's actions, which led to the ban in the UK, also affect Huawei equipment that is used in fibre broadband networks, such as those that provide home WiFi. But the government indicated that it would only advise that operators transition away from using new Huawei equipment, rather than requiring old equipment to be quickly changed, as with the 5G network.

Taking that approach will help to "suport the connections that the public relies on", the government said, while still address the security concerns about Huawei equipment.

The government said that those compromises were required to ensure that the network was safe, even if it also meant that it would not be available as soon as expected.

“5G will be transformative for our country, but only if we have confidence in the security and resilience of the infrastructure it is built upon," said Oliver Dowden, the digital secretary.

“Following US sanctions against Huawei and updated technical advice from our cyber experts, the government has decided it is necessary to ban Huawei from our 5G networks.

“No new kit is to be added from January 2021, and UK 5G networks will be Huawei free by the end of 2027. This decisive move provides the industry with the clarity and certainty it needs to get on with delivering 5G across the UK."

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Boris Johnson orders Huawei removal from 5G network in major U-turn