Huawei believes it can supply 5G kit to UK despite US sanctions

Chinese telecom company Huawei believes it can still supply 5G kit to the United Kingdomdespite the sanctions imposed on it by the United States.

Fearing a wider ban the firm has stockpiled500,000 kits afterBritain's health minister said ithas to clear certains conditions for Britain to continue to allow its involvement in the development of 5G telecoms infrastructure.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who in January allowedHuaweia limited role in Britain's 5G network, has faced intense pressure from the United States and some British lawmakers to ban the telecommunications equipment maker on security grounds.

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On Thursday he toughened his rhetoric onHuawei, warning China he would protect critical infrastructure from "hostile state vendors".

The company had urged Britain on not to rush into taking any costly decision to phase out its equipment from the UK's 5G network because of US sanctions.

The US ban prevents Huawei from using American microchips or any chips designed with American software. The NCSC is expected to conclude that Huawei kit will no longer be secure because it will have to rely on untested chips.

But Johnson also pledged last year to bring broadband access to all Britons by 2025. Huaweiequipment is already ubiquitous in Britain's older-generation 3G and 4G networks.

British telecoms companies have warned that stripping out all existingHuaweiequipment could cost them billions and take years to implement.

The Chinese company argues that 5G will become even more important as the world switches to home working because of the new coronavirus.