UK To Set Penalties For Using Chinese Equipment’s

The UK has set out the security legislation that will enforce the ban on Huawei’s telecoms equipment, and it features some hefty penalties. The Telecommunications Security Bill bans telcos from purchasing Huawei’s equipment from 2021. Huawei’s existing gear must be removed entirely from British networks by 2027.
Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “We are investing billions to roll out 5G and gigabit broadband across the country, but the benefits can only be realized if we have full confidence in the security and resilience of our networks. This groundbreaking bill will give the UK one of the toughest telecoms security regimes in the world and allow us to take the action necessary to protect our networks.”
We’ve known about the ban’s terms since July, but now we’re hearing about how it will be enforced. Telcos will face a fine of 10 percent of their turnover – or more than £100,000 a day – if they fail to meet the higher security requirements. Communications regulator Ofcom will be tasked with policing the rules.
Jimmy Jones, Cyber Security Telecoms expert at Positive Technologies, comments: “The uncertainty has meant mobile operators have already had to plan for the foreseeable future without Huawei and this just makes any reentry to the market even less likely for the company. What is really interesting here, is the law is establishing the operator’s security responsibility beyond the exclusion of certain vendors, to network security as a whole. Governments and agencies around the globe have recognized the stakes are even higher for 5G, which promises to connect exponentially more devices and be the core infrastructure for connected cities. This makes the consequences of security vulnerabilities more dangerous than simply having your internet or phone service go down.

British telcos will be relieved that the government appears to have resisted pressure to move the deadline for the removal of Huawei’s equipment to 2025. Last month, Sweden announced a ban on Huawei and ZTE’s gear with a 2025 deadline.
In a statement, Sweden’s regulator – the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority – said that the “influence of China’s one-party state over the country’s private sector brings with it strong incentives for privately-owned companies to act in accordance with state goals and the communist party’s national strategies.”