Huawei not giving up on UK 5G just yet

Back in July, the UK government took the decision to mandate the removal of Huawei equipment from UK 5G networks by 2027.  However Huawei insists that it has an ongoing commitment to the UK, even when it comes to 5G, today announcing the creation of a new private 5G testbed in Cambridge in partnership with Cambridge Wireless.

 

The testbed will be built as part of a three-year partnership between Cambridge Wireless and Huawei, involving digital training, business support and joint events.

 

Cambridge Wireless is a non-profit community of over 1,000 technology companies, working together to research and develop wireless technologies. The new 5G testbed, situated in Cambridge Science Park, will allow Cambridge Wireless’ members to explore the new technology and develop new use cases.

 

“As home to one of the world’s most advanced R&D ecosystems, Cambridge is perfectly positioned for the rollout of next-generation wireless technology and we’re delighted to be driving this initiative with our partners,” explained Cambridge Wireless CEO Simon Mead. “We hope to bring something unique to the Science Park to accelerate use cases and development of this technology. We invite ambitious businesses to get involved and through this exciting 3-year partnership with Huawei, we will support their 5G innovation journey.” 

 

Huawei already has close links to Cambridge, having received approval to build a £1 billion research centre in the area back in June. The facility is expected to create around 400 jobs.

 

The Cambridge Science Park itself is home to around 120 tech companies, providing plenty of scope for 5G-related innovation, including in the spheres of driverless vehicles, clean energy, and remote surgery. 

 

“The Cambridge ecosystem is recognised as a global leader in technology and we are excited to work with the talent and vision in this ecosystem,” said Huawei VP Victor Zhang. “We hope to enable Cambridge Wireless members to reach new heights by allowing them access to our state-of-the-art equipment and markets including China and beyond. Our commitment to the UK and industry remains as strong as ever and we will continue to offer our expertise and technology to our partners to promote connections and innovation.”

 

The testbed is scheduled to go live in January 2021.

 

While Huawei may be locked out of the UK’s 5G infrastructure, it still hopes to be a central player when it comes to 5G R&D in the UK.