The deadline set by the UK government for telecoms operators to remove Huawei equipment from their core networks has elapsed, with BT falling a bit short.
In November 2022, the government issued formal legal notices to telecoms operators – including BT – outlining their obligations to eliminate Huawei kit due to security concerns.
The initial deadline of 28 January 2023 was later extended to 31 December 2023 as several operators expressed difficulties in meeting the original timeframe.
While BT claims that only a small portion of its voice and data services are affected, it’s unclear what penalties may be imposed for missing the extended deadline.
A BT Group spokesperson stated: “All 4G and 5G data sessions and voice calls are now delivered by non-Huawei core equipment – meaning that over 99 percent of all core traffic is now being served by non-Huawei kit.”
The potential penalties for non-compliance include fines of up to 10 percent of the operator’s turnover or, in the case of ongoing violations, £100,000 ($126,611) per day.
Although BT has not formally requested an extension, industry observers anticipate flexibility in deadlines to prevent fines for companies demonstrating earnest efforts to comply with the Huawei equipment ban.
(Photo by Metin Ozer on Unsplash)
See also: Connected Nations: UK full-fibre broadband reaches 17M homes
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