Dear Colleagues,
Telecoms Infrastructure and Huawei
I am writing because today we reach an important milestone with the Report stage of the Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Bill.
As you will be aware, the Bill is a vital part of our commitment to the national deployment of gigabit-capable broadband. We plan to increase the speed, reduce the cost and create the right environment for investment to improve connectivity across the whole country. Delivering broadband was a key promise we made to the British people in our manifesto just three months ago, and it is essential that we get on with this.
The Prime Minister wants UK consumers and businesses to benefit from world-class connectivity, but this would never be at the expense of our national security.
We are aware of concerns of some colleagues about telecoms security, which relate to 5G rather than fixed line broadband, but have been raised during the course of this Bill, and so I wish to address these.
Not the right bill
The security of our telecoms infrastructure is absolutely paramount. However, the Telecoms Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Bill is not the right place to deal with the position on high risk vendors. This Bill simply enables telecoms operators to gain access rights to multi-dwelling premises (eg blocks of flats) where occupiers have requested a broadband service and the landlord is not responding.
Parliament will be able to express its view on the controls on high risk vendors when the Government brings forward the legislation to introduce the new telecoms security regime. The Telecommunications Security Bill will be brought forward by the summer. We will engage fully with colleagues ahead of this. This will include the National Cyber Security Centre, exceptionally, giving evidence to Parliamentary committees in addition to the Intelligence & Security Committee.
High risk vendors strategy
I wish to stress again that the Government is clear-eyed about the challenges posed by Huawei. That is why the National Security Council made a decision to: exclude them from the security critical network functions in 5G networks, and reduce their presence in other network functions up to a strict market share cap of 35 per cent. This position is based on the comprehensive security advice provided by the cyber security branch of GCHQ, the National Cyber Security Centre.
Market diversification
Over time our intention is to reduce our reliance on high risk vendors as market diversification takes place. We want to get to a position where we do not have to use a high risk vendor in our telecoms networks at all.
To do this, we will work with 5 Eyes and other partners to develop new supply chain capacity in our critical national infrastructure in this Parliament.
I understand this is important to many colleagues and we can arrange further technical briefings for those wishing to get up to speed ahead of the legislation. I have attached a factsheet on the Government’s high risk vendor decision which addresses some questions of colleagues not able to make the recent briefings.
In the meantime, I hope you will support the Bill today to enable the Government to deliver the game-changing broadband that Britain and your constituents need.
Rt Hon Oliver Dowden CBE MP
Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
