Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2021 to Question 130736, whether he plans for the planned obsolesce of Huawei equipment in fibre to the cabinet networks; and whether there is existing Huawei equipment in full fibre networks.

There is currently some Huawei equipment in the UK’s full fibre network. The Government is carrying out a technical consultation with full fibre network operators on the use of Huawei equipment which is ongoing and nearing completion. The Secretary of State will announce the outcome in due course.

It is a matter for operators to manage the lifespan of Huawei equipment in their fibre to the cabinet networks, and to manage how and when they should replace Huawei equipment when it becomes obsolete. Telecoms network operators have a responsibility to ensure that equipment within their networks remains safe and resilient.