Source · Select Committees · Defence Committee
Recommendation 28
28
Paragraph: 151
The Government should work with mobile network operators to bring in new suppliers to the...
Recommendation
The Government should work with mobile network operators to bring in new suppliers to the UK, for example Samsung or NEC and also encourage the development of industrial capacity in the UK. This will not only improve market diversity but make our networks more resilient and lessen the potential security risks by removing Huawei and therefore leaving the UK reliant on Nokia and Ericsson alone.
Paragraph Reference:
151
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The Government is having regular discussions with companies across the industry, both mobile operators, and suppliers such as NEC, Samsung and others, to find solutions that work for them. We recently announced our intention to provide NEC with £1.6 million grant funding towards an innovative NeutrORAN testbed as a part of the 5G Testbeds and Trials programme. This grant funding is a clear showcase of the UK’s commitment to, and momentum in, Open RAN development, that will position the UK as a leader in adopting Open RAN technology. Additionally, 17 UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are involved in 5G Create projects, including those that will help to drive forward the government’s work to open up the UK’s telecoms supply chains. Three of the six projects—5G Edge-XR, 5G Smart Junctions and Liverpool 5G Create—involve British SMEs trialling the use of open access 5G infrastructure and network solutions. BT’s 5G Edge-XR project will be tested in a platform that includes Samsung kit, marking the first time the South Korean telecoms vendor is participating in a UK-based 5GTT project. the UK can be found in our 5G Supply Chain Diversification Strategy, published on 30 November.