After being dealt with multiple major blows by the Trump administration in the US, HUAWEI is now staring at another huge crisis for its bread-and-butter telecom business in the UK. As per a report from TheGuardian, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has instructed officials to move forward with plans that would effectively end HUAWEI’s involvement in the country’s 5G infrastructure.

The goal, reportedly, is to phase out all networking equipment supplied by HUAWEI from its 5G infrastructure by the year 2023. Johnson is said to be facing immense pressure from Conservative parliamentarians who are opposed to any HUAWEI presence in their 5G network citing security risks, while also hoping for reduced dependence on Chinese goods.

The pressure to do so intensified in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic after reports emerged of China not warning the international fraternity in due time to prepare for the crisis. The plan reportedly has the backing of UK’s intelligence officials as well, who argue that “any risks that HUAWEI equipment could be exploited for mass surveillance could be contained.”

Source: The Guardian