Key Facts

• Steve McCabe chairs a session with Hamish MacLeod from Mobile UK and Matthew Evans from techUK.
• The witnesses welcome the Telecommunications (Security) Bill's objective to enhance security and resilience in telecom networks.
• Countries like the United States, New Zealand, and Australia have excluded Huawei and other high-risk vendors.
• The 2027 timeline is important for an orderly removal of HRV equipment and development of alternatives.
• The current reliance on two vendors will persist until at least 2027.
• Open RAN trials are ongoing in rural areas of the UK.
• A £250 million funding commitment is initially focused on R&D for open RAN technology.
• The Telecommunications (Security) Bill grants significant powers to the Secretary of State and Ofcom for inspecting operators.
• Witnesses discuss the importance of R&D and testing in accelerating open RAN technology deployment.
• A £250 million fund is mentioned, though its focus on testing rather than research has been a point of discussion.
• The Government has committed £250 million over five years for diversification in the telecoms sector.
• Stefano Cantarelli is the chief marketing officer for Mavenir with extensive experience in UK telecommunications.
• John Baker leads business development for Mavenir and was instrumental in setting up UK manufacturing and R&D for Nokia.
• Pardeep Kohli is the CEO of Mavenir, which employs about 4,500 people globally and has been providing software to UK operators for over two decades.
• The US has passed laws on trusted suppliers and is setting timelines and budgets for removing certain suppliers from networks.
• Japan supports the UK's aggressive stance on network security.
• Open RAN allows for software-based solutions that can run on general-purpose hardware or cloud services, reducing logistics and manufacturing needs.
• Companies like Affirmed Networks handle critical services for operators globally and are working to prove their open RAN capabilities.
• The US has invested over $1.9 billion on rip-and-replace to remove Huawei equipment.
• Vodafone has been leading in developing open RAN solutions with a three and a half year engagement period.
• The UK Government is setting up a national telecoms lab and SONIC initiative.
• NEC supports the adoption of open RAN technology as it has the potential to disrupt the telecoms market.
• Mavenir is heavily invested in the UK with recent acquisitions and solutions for 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G networks.
• Pardeep Kohli from Mavenir states that a complete greenfield solution can be provided within 12 months if the required hardware and radios are available.
• NEC provides 4G and 5G radios but works with other vendors for 2G and 3G solutions.
• The NeutrORAN project is a £1.6 million initial trial funded by the UK Government.
• Mavenir has previously worked on neutral hosting with British Telecom.
• Stefano Cantarelli suggests R&D funding to boost open source software availability in radio units.
• Stefano Cantarelli explains that operators are undergoing a transformation from hardware-software integration to disaggregated software-hardware components.
• Pardeep Kohli mentions spending over $300 million annually on R&D for open RAN technology.
• Chris Jackson states that NEC is re-entering the market due to the Bill providing conditions for competition.
• Julius Robson is the chief strategy officer of the Small Cell Forum.
• Dr Louise Bennett is the director of the Digital Policy Alliance.
• The witnesses discuss the need for diverse suppliers to enhance network resilience against breaches.
• Steve McCabe addresses concerns raised during the Telecommunications (Security) Bill committee session.
• The Bill lacks specific provisions for maintaining comprehensive asset databases at all levels of network suppliers.
• There is a suggestion to include a technical advisory board and external audits by entities like NCSC or Ofcom.
• The bill's current structure provides powers for secondary legislation to address these issues.
• The Bill focuses on setting codes of practice for public electronic communications networks.
• Three tiers of telecom providers will be subject to scrutiny based on their importance.
• Network diversification may lead to higher compliance costs for smaller vendors.
• The Telecommunications (Security) Bill aims to regulate network security.
• Dr Bennett recommends including key practices on the face of the Bill while allowing regulators flexibility.
• A fast-response regime is proposed to mitigate cybersecurity threats more effectively.
• Steve McCabe introduces Dr Scott Steedman, director-general of standards at BSI (British Standards Institution).
• Charles Parton is introduced as a former diplomat with expertise on China and UK relations.
• The session will conclude by 4:45 pm.
• The decision to exclude Huawei from UK systems is considered correct by 2027.
• The Bill aims to create a structure of regulation, guidance, and standards for the industry.
• It will enable use of technology from global providers including UK SMEs and start-ups.
• Steve McCabe interrupts to manage time allocation.
• The discussion is set to conclude by 16:45.
• The Five Eyes community welcomes the Bill.
• The US bipartisan stance towards China's technology sector is noted as critical.
• Academic influence by China in STEM subjects requires urgent guidance for universities.
• Steve McCabe concludes the witness session.
• Further consideration of the bill is ordered to be adjourned.
• The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 19 January.