Loading

Removing Huawei equipment from existing networks would be costly and cause delays as telcos go head-to-head in the rush towards 5G.

However, keeping it within the network would mean the banned Chinese company would remain a major part in the early stages of the new networks, which are expected to speed up a connected world in the form of an 'Internet of Things'. These include cars, home appliances and other items embedded with electronics, software, sensors allowing them to connect and exchange data.

A telco executive, who wanted to remain anonymous, told Fairfax Media he had not ruled out putting in an application to the government to use Huawei’s services for “dumb” technology, like antennas, as part of its 5G rollout.

Another option for telcos would be to keep using Huawei up until 4.9G, and delay a 5G rollout unless there is additional clarity.

A spokesman for Huawei was unsure on the company’s future with Australia’s telcos, saying the company “does not know” what will happen to its equipment in current 4G builds.

A major point of contention was the government's statement when the ban was announced that there would be a blurring between the core of the network (where sensitive processing of data and control takes place) and the edge of the network, such as radios and equipment used to connect phones and devices.

"Where previous mobile networks featured clear functional divisions between the core and the edge, 5G is designed so that sensitive functions currently performed in the physically and logically separated core will gradually move closer to the edge of the network.  In that way, the distinction between the core and the edge will disappear over time," the statement said.

The Huawei spokesman said “nothing” had changed from a security standpoint in the recent generations of mobile networks, pointing to a whitepaper the Chinese giant provided to the government called A Path to 5G in Australia outlining a “separation” between the core network and the Radio Access Network (RAN).

“The 5G global standards have a clear separation between the core and the RAN in 5G,” the spokesman said.

Optus vice-president of regulatory and public affairs Andrew Sheridan said in a statement the telco was in “an advanced stage in planning for our 5G launch which will be consistent with the government's guidance”.

A spokeswoman for the government declined to clarify whether telcos would need to replace Huawei equipment with that from another supplier if they wished to extend 4G networks into 5G, noting the "government has nothing further to add" to the initial statement announcing a ban.