By Leo Kelion
Technology desk editor
Nokia is set to become a major beneficiary of Huawei being blocked from the UK’s 5G networks.
The Finnish telecoms firm has struck a deal to become the largest equipment provider to BT.
Nokia will now provide additional base stations and antennas to let EE customers’ devices make calls and transmit data via the UK firm’s 5G “radio access network”.
The deal will also see Nokia replace Huawei in BT’s 2G and 4G networks.
BT has already used Nokia’s telecoms infrastructure equipment in London, the Midlands and some rural locations, but this will extend their partnership across other parts of UK.
This will include sites in Aberdeen, Cambridge, Dundee, Exeter, Southampton and York among other places.
announced in July that all the UK’s mobile providers were being banned from buying new Huawei 5G equipment after 31 December, and must also remove all the Chinese firm’s 5G kit from their networks by 2027.
The decision, which was taken on national security grounds, effectively ended a strong relationship between BT and Huawei that dated back to 2005.
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