|  Updated: 

DEBATE: Does it make sense to ban Huawei from access to the UK 5G network?

By: and

Add as a preferred source on Google

Does it make sense to ban Huawei from access to the UK 5G network?

Matt Kilcoyne, deputy director of the Adam Smith Institute, says YES.

Chinese state-owned enterprises are accused by our Five Eyes intelligence partners in Australia and the US of keeping extensive databases on foreign individuals. That’s everything from who you’ve rung, when and where, to data transferred by the network and biometrics scanned across it.

A deal with Huawei might mean a slightly quicker 5G network for a few years, but it could shut the door on security collaboration with our closest allies forever. China’s National Intelligence Law from 2017 requires state firms to hand over data to agencies of the Communist regime that continues to hold political prisoners, target anyone who dissents from party doctrine, and is accused of building camps to forcibly “re-educate” Uighur muslims in Xinjiang.

We don’t need to give a contract worth billions to a company that ultimately answers to a dictator for life. Let’s align ourselves with the democratic west, seek out other market alternatives for our 5G infrastructure, and walk away from Huawei.

Russ Shaw, founder of Tech London Advocates and Global Tech Advocates, says NO.

The security concerns of the public and enterprise must always remain central to debates on advanced technologies, but an outright ban on Huawei’s involvement in the UK’s 5G networks does not make sense.

Excluding a company like Huawei from the UK’s digital future is to fundamentally remove it from the conversation on 5G in this country, and to ignore the fact that the Chinese tech sector is a large part of the global economy. To cement the UK’s place at the forefront of global tech, we must learn to do effective business with international companies that offer advanced technological solutions.

We know that China is a leader in 5G, and having Huawei contribute to “non-core” elements of the network could well prove crucial to our own timely deployment, which is essential for Britain’s tech community.

That being said, we must be cautious in our approach, clear in our intentions, consistent in our judgements, and strict with our regulations and standard setting — prioritising national security.

Main image credit: Getty