BT Group rushes to remove Huawei from core network, following UK ban

BT Group is hastily working on the removal of Huawei equipment from the core network, following the UK regulations. However, the network operator is at risk of paying huge fines as the deadline of December 31, 2023 approaches.

As per the inputs, BT Group in the UK has not yet reached the completion of replacing Huawei from its core network. When asked the company’s spokesperson, he didn’t say any word on whether it will meet the year-end deadline for this task.

So far, UK authorities banned Huawei and its resources in the country due to security fears. The government further ordered network operators to remove Huawei from the core completely by January 2023. Although an appeal by BT Group extended the deadline to December 31, 2023.

It is worth mentioning that Huawei has been a significant supplier of 5G core networks for a decade. Hence, removing its equipment altogether is a big task in itself. Besides, BT was heavily dependent on Huawei for their proficient facilities, which would make the company lose around £500 million.

On the other hand, if BT does not complete the removal task on time, then it will have to pay a fine of 10% of its revenue or £100,000 for every day that passes the deadline by the UK authorities. Considering the revenue generated by March 2023 (£20.7 billion), the company has to pay £2 billion.

BT is replacing Huawei from Ericsson. While the telecom operator is rushing to meet the deadline, the removal of Huawei equipment is resulting in several other problems for the company. It is an additional burden where UK firms are dealing with both time and capital challenges.

(Source)