Chinese bogeyman gets Huawei with featuring in EE's 5G network launch thanks to bumbling BBC

Today marked the launch of Britain's first 5G network – and also, as the BBC joyously informed us, the first telly broadcast made over 5G. But guess which company made the antenna that the Beeb used to beam its tech correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones into your bedroom this morning? Nobody would have known that Huawei (for it is …

[FuzzyTheBear]

How ridiculous ?

How ridiculous can this " war " get ? I find it hard to believe Trump can destroy singlehandedly so much and contribute so little and still be POTUS . If they had proof the equipment was tampered with ( not their tampering which we know they do ) but the Chinese manufacturer tampering with key equipment i'd say ok fine ... but as long as they dont show evidence i dont see why Huawei should be the target of a war that's got nothing to do with com sec. Pathetic it is and how ridiculous can it get ? Well Trump ridiculous ..

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: How ridiculous ?

I find it hard to believe Trump can destroy singlehandedly so much and contribute so little and still be POTUS

Welcome to partisan politics in the modern US. There are few moderates anymore on either side, so Trump's party will cheer everything he does, and if it destroys the economy they'll somehow blame it on the democrats for "not supporting the president". The same will be true for the next democrat president, the democrats who speak out against misconduct in the white house and executive branch will suddenly lose their voice when the tables are turned.

Saw a sign of why with Justin Amash, the lone principled republican congressman calling for Trump's impeachment after he read the Mueller report (something the rest of them should think about doing) He held a town hall, which is really gutsy since he's in a district that strongly supports Trump.

After he explained his reasoning and some of the obstruction of justice detailed in the report, a woman got up and said "how come this is the first I'm hearing about this, I haven't heard anything bad about the president was in the report". Turns out she watches Fox News. If Nixon had Fox News to lie for him, he would have served his full second term.

[quxinot]

Re: How ridiculous ?

>There are few moderates anymore on either side,

There are lots of moderates on both sides.

Who, precisely, are they supposed to vote for, again?

The loud noise is a vocal minority, same as it's always been.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: How ridiculous ?

I meant in congress there are few moderates. The primary system is dominated by the extremists since the moderates are less likely to bother participating in primary elections, so your choice is usually someone on the hard right vs someone on the hard left. Combine that with gerrymandering, and you have lots of safe districts for both parties where they aren't punished for nominating an extremist.

If we could make gerrymandering illegal in all states, and put it up to a non partisan commission or better yet computer programs that followed some simple logic to design maximally compact districts that obeyed existing boundaries where possible (county, city, precinct) you'd fix that problem. Then a lot more districts would be competitive, or at least more easily able to swing between sides as the political winds shift (i.e. 2010's big win for republicans, 2018's big win for democrats) then parties would be punished for nominating extremists because they'd lose against a more moderate candidate on the other side.

[CountCadaver]

Re: How ridiculous ?

Just like Brexiteers here blame anyone who voted remain for the disaster Brexit is for "not getting behind the national interest"

[Mark 85]

Re: How ridiculous ?

Proof? Since when does any politician in the US need "proof"? Perhaps it's all the Telco's spy and all the equipment makers have spyware preinstalled or possibly Huawei is the only one pronounceable by our elected officials? This whole trade war just seems to be loaded with BS.

[Blockchain commentard]

Good to see the beeb agreeing with what I've always said - it's pointless having basically unlimited speed if the data allowances are pants.

Also, can the phones really keep running at that bandwidth without melting?

[macjules]

Yep, just so long as the minions continue to pay £600 per month for 50Gb bandwidth on their rose gold iPhone XXXX. Just chuck another 10Gb on the bonfire.

Was expecting more of a "Hip Hip Huawei" type of headline ...

[Andre Carneiro]

EE playing the game again

Over 50 quid for 10GB of ‘might-be-5G” data?

What moron is going to pay for THAT?

(And I consider myself an early adopter)

[Ol'Peculier]

Re: EE playing the game again

If you think that's bad, I was quoted £36 for 5mb of data from EE when I was in Azerbaijan a few weeks ago.

[Mark 85]

Re: EE playing the game again

What moron is going to pay for THAT?

Probably any of the "oh... shiney" brigade.

[[e-mail]]

Re: EE playing the game again

"Probably any of the "oh... shiney" brigade."

Or is that the "i-Shiny' brigade?

(cos fanboi baiting is just so much fun!!)

[Anonymous Coward]

Deliberate of course

As it feeds to pathetic press feeding frenzy and clickbait that even the BBC are now guilty of.

[steelpillow]

Go Huawei! (no pun intended)

I have got one of those Huawei mobile routers, only mine does 4G. I walked in and bought it from a Vodafone shop, plugged in my Ethernet, logged my mobe into the WiFi, and waaa-hey! Faster and cheaper than my old BT landline plus third party "broadband".

This is just exactly the kind of RAN edge use that our National Cyber Security Centre have given the green light to. Go to it Huawei! Blow the socks off the old frumps.

[LeahroyNake]

Reserved

I just love the way Huawei seem to be taking it all in their stride and not reacting like a spoilt child when their dummy (pacifier) gets taken from them.

The long game with Huawei will be really interesting.

[STOP_FORTH]

Re: Reserved

The "nut rage" lady was an exception.

[MiguelC]

Re: Reserved

The "nut rage" lady was a Korean Air vice president

[STOP_FORTH]

Re: Reserved

I realise that. I don't know why I sparked a downvote frenzy. I was trying to point out that Asians don't usually fly off the handle for no good reason, unlike some Occidentals.

My encounters with professional engineers in Asian countries have usually left me with the impression that they are capable, well-educated, intelligent people. I don't always get that impression with engineers from other parts of the world. Guess which country I am thinking of in particular?

Down with knee-jerk downvoters.

[DJV]

Re: Reserved

Oops, sorry - my knee accidentally jerked there...

[Jimmy2Cows]

Re: don't know why I sparked a downvote frenzy

Simply because it wasn't even vaguely clear you were making a generalisation.

[Danny 14]

Re: Reserved

Really? Whilst the hoohar over huawei is just Trump spitting his dummy out over taxes, China is hardly a sparkling example of good behaviour.

Tiananmen square alone will attest to that. That being said, lumping all 'Asians' together (with Chinese) is as useful as lumping Trump together with all 'Westerners' including Germans and Brazilians.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Reserved

US will be the real losers. Many companies already removing reliance on US tech, as they want to remain partners with China....

[steelpillow]

Re: Reserved

"US will be the real losers. Many companies already removing reliance on US tech, as they want to remain partners with China...."

Or with pretty much anybody else....

[MiguelC]

Re: Reserved

There are seldom winners in a trade war and most frequently everyone ends up on the losing side, even those not directly involved.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Reserved

Very true, I can't help but think this whole Huawei saga is deflection from the people that are suffering because of the trade war, there must be companies in America that import who now can't due to the increased costs and companies that can no longer export.

[Snowy]

Later on

They did not bungle they reported that Huawei equipment was used in EE's 5G network" it was in no way thanks to bumbling by the BBC.

What did make me laugh was how the broadcast by the BBC broken up due to the running out of 5G data on their Sim card.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/video_and_audio/headlines/48463651/live-bbc-broadcast-over-5g-network-on-launch-day-fails

https://venturebeat.com/2019/05/30/bbc-blames-5g-data-caps-and-bizarre-issues-for-live-broadcast-flops/

[Sirius Lee]

Re: Later on

Good comment. I was going to comment that on the BBC lunchtime news (yesterday now) the reporter was clear that the EE kit being used was sourced from Huawei.

It is unfortunate for EE, the BBC and Huawei that video of the much trumpeted article, which was being broadcast using the 5G network became corrupted after just a few seconds (audio was OK so not a data cap issue).

[Snowy]

Re: Later on

Thank you nice comment on my comment. The break down reminded me of Tomorrow's World :).

I think what happened was when they ran out of 5G data the device drop down to 3G which had the bandwidth for voice but not enough for the video.

[Anonymous Coward]

The BBC is Trumps bitch now?

We all know the government has always treated us as Americas bitch, and now with Brexit, we are even more desperate to be Trumps bitch ("taking back control"), but what the hell has this got to do with the "independent" BBC?

[CountCadaver]

Re: The BBC is Trumps bitch now?

See also the arbitary reclassifying of pregabalin as a controlled substance, why? Due to a request by the USA and despite the abuse of it being very limited here due to GPs being reluctant to prescribe anything stronger than paracetamol or ibuprofen.....

So result? Vulnerable people in pain now only get a months supply, thus doubling or tripling the admin work for overworked surgeries (previously you would get 2 or 3 months if you were on it longterm to suppress neuropathic pain)

[Caver_Dave]

Earlier = even worse

On an early morning report (soon after 06:00 30May2019) a female reporter was reporting in to the Breakfast program via 5G and the picture quality was so bad that they had to terminate the interview. Oops!

[Spacedinvader]

Bit steep

10GB for £54 a month? Currently get 100GB 4G for £20 (100GB rolls over if not used)...

[IceC0ld]

Re: Bit steep

and isn't 5G capable of D/Ling a movie in seconds .................... so your £50 will last how many seconds ? ....................

[David Neil]

Standards have fallen

I remember when Broadcast engineers would have had an aneurysm at the picture quality that is now deemed acceptable by Skype interviews and mobile telephone reporting

[rhydian]

Re: Standards have fallen

Don't get me started on Skype audio interviews. I can just about manage to put up with the low quality audio stream, but not when its swapping from low to high quality audio randomly throughout a piece.

[Anonymous Coward]

How many Chinese (agents?) are on here?

Just wondering, why is TheRegister full of China sympathisers? Or are they real people who don't understand the atrocities China has done and can do by taking over your telecoms service. Some IT personnel that is. Is Brexits just the side show, the real show are these clowns?

I've been following a couple of news articles here and everytime something Huawei comes up the commentards are just rehashing the same things again and again that has already been answered comprehensively by ex-MI6 director Sir Richard Dearlove.

Quote. "The PRC uses its sophisticated technical capabilities not only to control its own population (to an extreme and growing degree), but it also conducts remotely aggressive intelligence gathering operations on a global scale. No part of the communist Chinese state is ultimately able to operate free of the control exercised by its Communist Party leadership."

Is that hard to understand? That's a fact, not at all short. It's reality. Huawei keeps denying it is an arm of the government, but here you have the PRC pressuring Canada by detaining it's citizens on behalf of Huawei. Why? The favor always gets repaid in China, and they won't help you to that sort of extend if you're not connected. Come on people, wake up.

Incidentally, has TheRegister thought about publishing people's IP addresses publically here? I'm curious to see how many are home broadband users and how many are hiding behind VPNs or other commercial networks and are in fact operating from troll farms.

No doubt I'll get downvoted, but somethings needs to be said, just like all the crap on here that gets said and upvoted on.

Am I the only one who can see clearly or are you guys all just trolling with popcorns? Whatever, I'm going to take my leave now and unsubscribe from TheRegister's feed.

[Spangle]

Re: How many Chinese (agents?) are on here?

Ah the 77th Brigade springs into action with its convincing logic.

Blinkered logic.... but never mind.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: How many Chinese (agents?) are on here?

Actually I'm commenting from the very land the very atrocities happens, and I take a risk just by commenting here as it is, and whoever has access to TheReg's server log can back me up here (but please don't sell me out).

Anyway, I understand, what's my every day life is your legend and hearsay since you're obviously not very versed in what goes on around the world.

Why don't you tell the Germans concentration camps never happened while you're at it? Since you obviously think your logic is great and mine is "blinkered".

But since I don't know what or who you are, guess you can just be another one. The mob mentality runs great here. No, nothing suspisous at all.

TheReg should think about how to fight fake comments. Only allowing home broadband users to comments will make it easier. Showing the flag of the detected country using the IP address could be another method without directly publishing people's IP.

Just saying, because I don't want to believe that there are this many real "IT" people who I used to work with side by side in the UK that are this ignorant and stupid.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: How many Chinese (agents?) are on here?

LOL. Oh dear, where to start.

"People who think differently from me are ignorant and stupid (and by implication therefore wrong)". Isn't that the textbook definition of bigotry?

"I take a risk... please don't sell me out" - because I'm special, but I don't any problem if other's IP addresses are made public and their privacy compromised.

"If you support the Chinese then you're no different from concentration camp deniers".

TheReg shouldn't allow people to exercise free speech when patriotic behaviour and propaganda is called for.

Do actually believe the stuff you write or are you just looking forward to your sixteenth birthday?

BTW no one forced you to emigrate...

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: How many Chinese (agents?) are on here?

Your level of comprehension astonish me. RTFC? I did not back publishing people's IP address, I back banning commercial networks, VPNs from comments, and publishing the origin country from which the comments are made from.

This is a global world we live in. Take some responsibility. You twisting my words so obviously and then claiming it as a "quote" shows your motive. Who the f-k is thinking they're special? You?

Where is Andrew and TheReg's executive team? I hear your readership has been declining the past few years? Ever thought it's due to the troll farms or the toxic commentard community here?

[Down not across]

Re: How many Chinese (agents?) are on here?

Your level of comprehension astonish me. RTFC? I did not back publishing people's IP address, I back banning commercial networks, VPNs from comments, and publishing the origin country from which the comments are made from.

Oh really? Let's see, this is from your original post (if you are the same AC):

Incidentally, has TheRegister thought about publishing people's IP addresses publically here? I'm curious to see how many are home broadband users and how many are hiding behind VPNs or other commercial networks and are in fact operating from troll farms.

To me, that looks like backing publishing people's IP addresses. Ah, perhaps its case of my level of comprehension.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: How many Chinese (agents?) are on here?

If you're a real person working in IT, you wouldn't not understand the security implications here. Your CIO would be so proud of having you in their team right?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: How many Chinese (agents?) are on here?

and the USA are wholly innocent? Extraordinary rendition, detention without trial, torture, contaminating wide areas with depleted uranium, dousing vast areas of SE Asia (and parts of Canada) with dioxin heavy defoliants (orange, white, purple etc), removing democratically elected governments in favour of friendly despots (Persia/Iran), active racism and discrimination by police the list goes on...

UK not any better - Chagos islanders, testing germ warfare agents on our own servicemen under the guise of a "cure for the common cold" etc, Colonialism, discreet support for Rhodesia etc (you'd be surprised how many active UK service people spent time with the RLI obstentiably while on leave)

French and Belgians - no cleaner

Virtually every government in the world is infringing on the rights of its citizens (or other countries citizens) in someway or another. Its more than ever becoming the nightmarish worlds of 1984, Atlas Shrugs, Brave New World and others....

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: How many Chinese (agents?) are on here?

oh stop the "oh and the USA are wholly innocent?" bull crap. Who the f- is comparing? You guys are just proving my point, why do these trolls always pull in comparisons of what the west did or used to do?

If you want comparisons, hey, heres the thing, at least you got to learn about it and hear it and they don't even deny it. In China, they'll either outright deny it or put you in the slammer for "public disturbance".

If you want to live in a survelliance soceity, I invite you to join me. But do you even live in the UK to begin with?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: How many Chinese (agents?) are on here?

Has anyone realised, how these people who keeps digging up and talking about UK and US dirt as "justification" for the current actions of other nefarious regimes, absolutely rediculous?

"Just because they've done this in the past, so it's ok for others to do?"

Grow up, it's never ok, and people in the UK and US has been and will continue to give hell and resist government. People in other regimes however risk prosecution and elimination. Is that something to be taken lightly and justifiable?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: How many Chinese (agents?) are on here?

Food for thought, who is the comments section built for? For the public to give opinions? Or for troll farms and big data analytic companies to influence the public? Is TheRegister is neutral publication focusing on technical and IT?

It's clear to me that trolls, and non-UK non-western people whose alliegence and interest lies elsewhere has infilrated this publication's comments.

So what can you do? Fake news isn't just a fight for Facebook to deal with. If it's for the public of this world, there are already technologies in placed as shown by Netflix to determine if one's connection is on a home AS or a commercial/institution AS.

Anyway, this is my parting gift. Not interested in arguing with whatever they are here any longer.

[Jellied Eel]

Re: How many Chinese (agents?) are on here?

So what can you do? Fake news isn't just a fight for Facebook to deal with. If it's for the public of this world, there are already technologies in placed as shown by Netflix to determine if one's connection is on a home AS or a commercial/institution AS.

Uhuh. Are you having problems with watching Netflix via your home 'AS'? You're right though. Fake news is a problem that a discerning public has to deal with, especially when the 'fake' news is official propaganda as part of a trade dispute. Buy Freedom routers! Complete with CALEA! Made or assembled in China, but once exported, powered by Freedom electrons and photons!

But a lot of us are IT people. Some might be looking at buying and installing tens of thousands of bits of tin to deploy 5G or other large networks, and if Freedom tin costs >$100 or more per device, that cost will have to be passed on to users, who want cheap. And some of us understand secure network design, and seperating control/data planes to try and prevent miscreants pwning our networks. Or just monitor traffic for unsual patterns, like terabits of data heading for institutional AS's in China.. Which isn't an exact science because institutions know about VPNs.

TL;DR though is if the risks are known, designs and procedures can be put in place to mitigate those risks. To an extent. Like it may mean having to hold more spares in case trade wars disrupt supplies.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: How many Chinese (agents?) are on here?

"It's clear to me that trolls, and non-UK non-western people whose alliegence and interest lies elsewhere has infilrated this publication's comments."

LOL again.

That you can make that claim without any evidence, except for "the posts of all the non right-thinking commentards on TheReg who don't agree with me", beggars belief.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: How many Chinese (agents?) are on here?

Wasn't justifying anyone's actions, EVERY government is in the wrong and has been for years on end.

You really think the UK and USA haven't and still do trample all over the rights of its citizens?

That resistance only gets you so far (see TSA antics at airports for starters, ICE harassing people because they "look like an illegal", ditto in the UK, border force are no better, neither are immigration enforcement.

I don't hold up one side as better than the other, or say oh well what China's doing is fine because the USA did that in the past too. No I say that no side is in the right, that every country has ongoing shenanigans.....

[Mr Cable]

'Bumbling BBC'?

Seriously, because the BBC, during a report on a new technology launch, managed to catch the briefest of glimpses of the Manufacturer logo of a piece of hardware required for said new launch - and it's worthy on a whole story on El Reg?

#picktherightbattles

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually,

The guy who runs the ISP I use tweeted the news he had spotted and identified the Huawei gear on top of the van, BEFORE the Beeb helpfully labelled it.

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't forget to click on the "Why you can trust BBC News" icon

Especially when they censor themselves.

It's all part of their impartiality. /Sarcasm off.

[Martin-73]

Streisand Effect

Other than us tech geeks, had anyone much heard of the company prior to mr T's (no, the orange one) rant? No? Well they have now. Good luck Huawei, for the enemy of my enemy, is a Chinese tech giant