The UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has concluded that it is possible to limit the risks of using equipment from Chinese company Huawei in 5G mobile networks, reports the Financial Times citing two unnamed people familiar with the decision.
One source familiar with the discussions said that the UK decision would "carry great weight" with other European countries, as the UK has access to sensitive US intelligence data through the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network. The decision come as the US moves to convince its allies to ban Huawei equipment from telecoms networks.
UK operators Vodafone, EE and Three already work with Huawei on their mobile networks. They are awaiting the outcome of the official government review, due in March or April, that will decide whether they can use Huawei equipment on 5G networks. The NCSC's opinion will feed into the review, which is being conducted by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.
A spokesperson for the Department told the BBC that its analysis was "ongoing" and no decisions had been taken yet. "Any suggestion to the contrary is inaccurate," they said in a statement.
