Editing BT Group (section)

=== Huawei infrastructure access ===
Beginning in 2010 the UK intelligence community investigated [[Huawei]], the Chinese supplier of BT's new fibre infrastructure with increasing urgency after the United States, Canada and Australia prevented the company from operating in their countries.<ref>{{cite news |author=Charles Arthur |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/oct/08/china-huawei-zte-security-threat |title=China's Huawei and ZTE pose national security threat, says US committee |work=The Guardian |date=8 October 2012 |access-date=4 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019024045/http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/oct/08/china-huawei-zte-security-threat |archive-date=19 October 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> Although BT had notified the UK government in 2003 of Huawei's interest in their £10bn network upgrade contract, they did not raise the security implications as BT failed to explain that the Chinese company would have unfettered access to critical infrastructure.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/security/383125/government-admits-slip-ups-in-bt-huawei-deal|title=Government admits slip-ups in BT-Huawei deal|access-date=14 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140330154517/http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/security/383125/government-admits-slip-ups-in-bt-huawei-deal|archive-date=30 March 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> On 16 December 2012 the then prime minister [[David Cameron]] was supplied with an in-depth report indicating that the intelligence services had very grave doubts regarding Huawei, and that UK governmental, military, and civilian privacy may have been under serious threat.<ref>{{cite news|last=Cusick|first=James|title=China telecoms giant could be cyber-security risk to Britain|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/china-telecoms-giant-could-be-cybersecurity-risk-to-britain-8420432.html|newspaper=The Independent|date=16 December 2012|access-date=14 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925165835/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/china-telecoms-giant-could-be-cybersecurity-risk-to-britain-8420432.html|archive-date=25 September 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 7 June 2013, British lawmakers concluded that BT should not have allowed Huawei access to the UK's communications network without ministerial oversight, saying they were 'deeply shocked' that BT did not inform government that they were allowing Huawei and [[ZTE]], both with ties to the Chinese military, unfettered access to critical national systems. Furthermore, ministers discovered that the agency with the responsibility to ensure Chinese equipment and code was threat-free was entirely staffed by Huawei employees. Subsequently, parliamentarians confirmed that in case of an attack on the UK there was nothing that could be done to stop Chinese infiltration.<ref>{{cite web |last=Sandle |first=Paul |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/06/07/uk-britain-telecoms-huawei-idUKBRE9550RP20130607 |title=Parliamentarians say Huawei-BT deal exposes flawed security controls |work=Reuters |date=7 June 2013 |access-date=4 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140328034745/http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/06/07/uk-britain-telecoms-huawei-idUKBRE9550RP20130607 |archive-date=28 March 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

By 2016 Huawei had put measures in place to ensure the integrity of UK national security. Specifically their UK work is now overseen by a board that includes directors from [[GCHQ]], the [[Cabinet Office]] and the [[Home Office]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/aug/07/china-huwaei-cell-uk-national-security-cyber-surveillance-hacking|title=The Chinese firm taking threats to UK national security very seriously|work=The Guardian|date=7 August 2016|access-date=2 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180411211105/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/aug/07/china-huwaei-cell-uk-national-security-cyber-surveillance-hacking|archive-date=11 April 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[ZTE]], another Chinese company that supplies extensive network equipment and subscriber hardware used with BT 'Infinity', was also under scrutiny by parliament's intelligence and security committee<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/oct/10/huawei-international-blacklisting|title=Huawei's relationship with BT under investigation by MPs|last=Garside|first=Juliette|date=10 October 2012|work=The Guardian|access-date=9 June 2017|issn=0261-3077|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171116001940/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/oct/10/huawei-international-blacklisting|archive-date=16 November 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> after the US, Canada, Australia and the European Union declared the company a security risk.<ref>{{cite news |last=Shead |first=Sam |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/huawei-and-zte-could-pose-security-and-business-threat-to-europe-says-eu-report/ |title=Huawei and ZTE could pose security and business threat to Europe, says EU report |work=ZDNet |date=13 December 2012 |access-date=4 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130702235052/http://www.zdnet.com/uk/huawei-and-zte-could-pose-security-and-business-threat-to-europe-says-eu-report-7000008751/ |archive-date=2 July 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2020 following a government ruling, BT began removing Huawei equipment from its broadband and mobile networks in order to comply with new restrictions on the usage of Huawei equipment.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sweney |first=Mark |date=2020-01-30 |title=Huawei ruling will cost us £500m, says BT |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jan/30/huawei-ruling-will-cost-us-500m-says-bt |access-date=2023-02-13 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> As of 2023, the process is still ongoing.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sweney |first=Mark |date=2022-06-29 |title=BT asks for more time as ban on Huawei equipment approaches |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/jun/29/bt-asks-for-more-time-as-ban-on-huawei-equipment-approaches |access-date=2023-02-13 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>