Huawei wins approval to plonk £1bn optical comms R&D facility in UK's leafy Cambridgeshire
- Reference: 1593160224
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/06/26/huawei_cambridgeshire_rnd_facility/
- Source link:
Huawei's new campus will be situated on 500 acres of land acquired by the company in 2018, and will feature over 50,000 square metres of office space. When operational, the firm claims it'll directly create over 400 new jobs, and become one of the cornerstones of its broadband technology division.
Optoelectronics focuses on the control and observation of light through electronic systems. It is one of the essential components of fibre-optic networking, which sees data represented as light, which is then transmitted through glass or polymer-based cables.
In a statement, Huawei veep Victor Zhang praised the UK's "vibrant and open market" and talent, adding: "Through close collaboration with research institutes, universities, and local industry, we want to advance optical communications technology for the industry as a whole, while doing our part to support the UK's broader Industrial Strategy. Ultimately, we want to help enshrine the UK's leading position in optoelectronics and promote UK tech on a global scale."
Last year, Huawei's Carrier Business Group – which includes fixed-line networking technologies, in addition to the wireless products the company is increasingly known for – produced 34.5 per cent of the overall revenues, [1]according to the 2019 Huawei Annual Report . Overall, turnover in this sector was RMB 296.7 billion, or £33.77bn at the current exchange rates.
Huawei hasn't published figures showing how that revenue splits between fixed-line and mobile customers, although it's [2]known that BT's Openreach has long been a customer of Huawei , which provides equipment powering its FTTP exchanges.
This R&D investment predates Huawei's [3]current woes with the US government , which have spilled [4]over into the UK , particularly when it pertains to future 5G sales.
As yet, it's unclear whether this new development will soften hearts in Westminster – [5]cash always helps – allowing it more unfettered involvement in the UK's networks.
Ministers are said to be considering plans "to prohibit the purchase and installation of new equipment from 2023", a U-turn on a previous leaked report saying UK.gov [6]would slash Huawei usage to zero in the next three years. ®
Sponsored: [7]Google Security Whitepaper
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2020/03/31/huawei_going_to_handle_2020/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2019/11/26/bt_huawei/
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2019/05/15/president_trump_huawei_emergency_ban/
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2020/05/27/huawei_impossible_remove_uk_networks/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2013/10/14/chancellor_to_china_keep_watching_downton_and_well_gloss_over_huawei_security_worries/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2020/05/23/bojo_buckles_huawei_out/
[7] https://go.theregister.com/tl/1956/-8471/google-security-whitepaper?td=wptl1956
Re: Given the reality shone on China recently...
Depends if UK offered a subsidy. Assuming they didn't then its a commercial enterprise and both will benefit.
If it's like the Foxconn's Wisconsin plant, Scott Walker was so desperate for the deal, he gave China's Foxconn $4.8 billion subsidy on the claim of 13000 jobs but the actual written promise of only 3000. So $1.6 million per job.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxconn%27s_Wisconsin_plant
Curiously Scott Walker is also the chair for Trumps reelection. Which is odd no?
You'd like to diss China here, but it seems to me that China wouldn't offer Trump his quid-pro-quo kickback (see Bolton's book) to do the trade deal, but Mexico got a deal slightly more favorable trade deal to replace NAFTA with, so I wonder what Mexico gave Trump for the quid-pro-quo there. It makes China slightly less scummy than Mexico.
Re: Given the reality shone on China recently...
It gets better -- as of this April, the Foxconn plant in Eau Claire, Wisconsin was still empty.
Yep. No jobs there. Scott Walker appears to have "the Trump touch" at dealmaking.
https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/12/21217060/foxconn-wisconsin-innovation-centers-empty-buildings
Re: Scott Walker appears to have "the Trump touch" at dealmaking
I guess the sun ain't gonna shine anymore.
Why is this allowed?
Right question, wrong context.
Why does this campus have to be on leafy green fields? Isn't there a derelict car factory in Birmingham or Swindon that can be demolished and built over?
"As yet, it's unclear whether this new development will soften hearts in Westminster – cash always helps – allowing it more unfettered involvement in the UK's networks."
I thought that link under 'cash always helps' would be to a Desmond-Jenrick story, since we are talking about how money talks in planning decisions.
Only if you are a former-pornographer-Conservative-party-doner.
Yes, they don't want to give money away to the marxists (London Borough of Newham), but happy to take it from the Communists.
Any IP, patents, i assume will be owned by Huawei.
This will go well with our 'allies' (sometimes) in the US.
I presume it's mostly to have some leverage against automatically becoming the 51st State. It allows us to suggest we'll go with China if the US don't limit their demands of us and grant us some of what we want, and we won't have burned our bridges if it does turn out we can't survive with the America First deal the US actually offers.
It's standard 'play one off against the other' fare.
I know...
...that this not be nothing to do with their networking, but we've just got a Huawei Magicbook for my wife. The price is remarkable, the build excellent (aluminium chassis), the design very impressive and the specs pretty good. If this is the type of thing Huawei are producing, no wonder there is pushback against them. The competition must be unwelcome, and some seem to find it unacceptable.
Yet another green-belt build vanity project
I live very near to Cambridge and the last thing we need is more Building/people/cars Please just NO.
This could easily be built on a existing brown-field site, but no Cambridge sounds waaay cooler
.....Paved paradise & put a parking lot....
Well at least any kit made by Huawei in the UK will have had some attention paid to it at minimum by someone working for British security whether official or not.
I am sure Huawei knows that and so do our allies, if kit is clean and there is still shouting about security, it will be clear that they are taking about economic security.
Given the reality shone on China recently...
Why is this allowed - who does this benefit the most - China or the UK?