Vodafone puts kit by Huawei on hold

The boss of Vodafone on Friday said he will “pause” installing Huawei kit in some parts of the business after a backlash against the Chinese telecoms giant.

Chief executive Nick Read, who replaced long-serving Vittorio Colao in October, said Vodafone will continue however to buy radio equipment from Huawei to help it build its 5G networks.

Vodafone is the latest business concerned about the security of the smartphone maker after several foreign governments, including America and Australia, have considered banning or already banned Huawei’s devices to fend off possible leaks, cyberattacks and spying.

Vodafone will only stop buying new equipment at the “core” — a critical part of its network — where it uses just a “small amount” of Huawei devices.

The company posted revenue of €11 billion (£9.5 billion) for the third quarter to December 31, down 6.8% on the same period the year before.

Read added: “We need to get the facts on the table and make clear what the plan of action should be.”