UK has announced carriers must stop installing Huawei equipment by September 2021, as it ramps up its ban.

Despite US pressure, the UK initially resisted calls to ban Chinese firm Huawei from its 5G networks. Eventually, however, the UK government reversed course, ruling that all Huawei equipment must be removed from the country’s 5G networks by the end of 2027. Companies had been prohibited from purchasing new equipment after the end of 2020, however. Despite that, lawmakers were concerned companies would stockpile equipment before the purchasing deadline, allowing them to continue using it until the ban went into full effect at the end of 2027.

To help prevent that from happening, the UK government has now said telecom carriers may not install any new Huawei equipment after September 2021.

“Today I am setting out a clear path for the complete removal of high risk vendors from our 5G networks,” said Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden. “This will be done through new and unprecedented powers to identify and ban telecoms equipment which poses a threat to our national security.”

Secretary Dowden also emphasized the importance of no longer being dependent on just a few vendors.

“We are also publishing a new strategy to make sure we are never again dependent on a handful of telecoms vendors for the smooth and secure running of our networks. Our plans will spark a wave of innovation in the design of our future mobile networks.”