Security experts always said they can manage Huawei, 5G throws up bigger challenges
Professor Mark Skilton, a digital communications and cyber security at Warwick Business School, said:
"Cyber security experts at MI5 and GCHQ have always said they can manage Huawei if it is limited to 'non-core' network services, so this arrangement does not come as a surprise.
"The US government's arguments that Huawei represents a major cyber and national security risk follow a blatant protectionist agenda, trying to obfuscate the fact that the US has lost the 5G race and seeking to damage Chinese markets.
"However, there are complex technical arguments mixed up with the politics. More advanced persistent threats (APTs) are emerging and the 5G network has a bigger attack surface, regardless who builds it.
"The real issue is that we need better cyber defence against the growing potential for national infrastructure attacks and better monitoring to prevent the misuse of the network and the wealth of data it creates."