The Government has only recently considered the consolidation of vendors in the UK’s telecommunications market as a potential risk to national security, although it is a process that has taken place over ten to twenty years. One problem appears to have been the focus on the security of the network operators and not their supply chains, including when setting the role and powers of the regulator. Although the diversification strategy now addresses vendor diversity, it still does not consider t...

The Government has only recently considered the consolidation of vendors in the UK’s telecommunications market as a potential risk to national security, although it is a process that has taken place over ten to twenty years. One problem appears to have been the focus on the security of the network operators and not their supply chains, including when setting the role and powers of the regulator. Although the diversification strategy now addresses vendor diversity, it still does not consider the full supply chain. Whereas other nations and regions, including the USA, Australia and the European Union, have produced strategies addressing supply Type: conclusion | Number: 24 | Paragraph: 93 | Response status: accepted Government response: The Government agrees with the Committee’s analysis of the need to consider the long- term plan and implications of critical and emerging technologies. To this end, in line with the Prime Minister’s vision articulated in the Integrated Review, the UK’s