Britain allows Huawei to play limited role in 5G rollout

Jan. 28 (UPI) -- The British government said Tuesday it will allow Chinese telecommunications company Huawei to play a limited role in the rollout of its 5G cellular network.

The decision was influenced by the British National Security Council and will allow Huawei to work on "non-core" parts of the British network. It also caps its vendors' share of the British 5G market at 35 percent.

The Chinese company, however, is banned from operating at sensitive sites like nuclear and military facilities.

The decision is at odds with U.S. efforts to persuade Britain to block Huawei's involvement in the network. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Monday that "British sovereignty was at stake" if it permitted Huawei to work on the project.

The United States in 2018 declared Huawei a national security threat barred the company from doing business with U.S. government and civil entities. The U.S. government, however, began granting licenses last fall for American companies to again sell products to Huawei.

One British official said Huawei was allowed on the project to speed up Britain's 5G launch by as many as three years, The Guardian reported.

"Huawei is reassured by the U.K. government's confirmation that we can continue working with our customers to keep the 5G roll-out on track," Huawei Vice President Victor Zhang said in a statement. "This evidence-based decision will result in a more advanced, more secure and more cost-effective telecoms infrastructure that is fit for the future."