What is D10? Know UK's Plan For 5G Club of 10 Democracies, Including India, to Reduce Dependency on China
In an attempt to reduce telecom technology dependency on China, the British government has suggested forming a group of 10 democracies.
New Delhi, June 2: In an attempt to reduce telecom technology dependency on China, the British government has suggested forming a group of 10 democracies. The group, touted as D10, will try to create alternative suppliers of 5G equipment and other technologies to avoid relying on Huawei, the Chinese telecoms giant, according to a report by The Times. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson approached the Trump administration about a D10 club of democratic partners, based on the G7 plus Australia, South Korea and India. US, UK Raise Concerns on Hong Kong Security Law in UNSC.
What is D10?
Apparently, the name D10 has been chosen because the group comprises 10 democratic countries. So D stands for democracy and 10 reflect the number of members. The D10 alliance, if formed, will comprise G7 countries – UK, US, Italy, Germany, France, Japan and Canada – plus Australia, South Korea and India. China is deliberately excluded. The sole purpose of the grouping is to reduce Chinese telecom companies' involvement for 5G upgrade in the member countries.
What has the British government proposed?
According to the report of The Times, the D10 countries will aim to create alternative suppliers of 5G equipment and other technologies to avoid relying on China. “We need new entrants to the market. That was the reason we ended up having to go along with Huawei at the time," the newspaper quoted a UK government source as saying. The Boris Johnson government pitched for D10 after security concerns were raised about Huawei which has got conditional permission for 5G trials in the United Kingdom. UK PM Boris Johnson Plans to Scale Back Huawei Role in Britain’s 5G Network: Report.
These concerns emerged after the US banned the sale of American chips to Huawei. The Trump administration says Huawei is a security risk, which the company denies. Beijing has been accusing America of raising phony security concerns to create less-competitive market for US tech giants. UK security officials fear that the ban will prompt China to use cheaper, less secure technologies, instead of verified US versions.
Nokia and Ericsson are the only European companies that supply 5G infrastructure. However, according to experts, these companies cannot provide 5G kit as quickly or as cheaply as Huawei. If the D10 is formed, the group will collaborate and invest in technology companies based within its member countries. This will not only curb US, UK, India and other countries' dependency on China but also hurt Beijing's economy. Clamour is growing to take direct or indirect action against China over the coronavirus outbreak, which led to lockdown in many countries and plunged economic growth.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 02, 2020 03:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).