'They're dictating how to monitor networks, without fully understanding the impact on the sector' Matthew Hughes Fri 12 Mar 2021 // 11:32 UTC Share Copy Introduced last year by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the UK's Telecommunications Security Bill aims to change how mobile and fixed-line communications systems are built and operated. The bill is a recognition of the importance of comms networks to national security, and was largely spurred by the growing use of equipment from so-called "high risk" vendors, namely Huawei and ZTE. But the reception from networks has been lukewarm. Although ISPs and mobile networks recognise the importance of ensuring the integrity of the nation's communications infrastructure, the devil very much lurks in the details. The wholesale overhaul proposed by the Telecoms Security Bill would result in high costs for operators, who would be forced to rip and replace existing equipment, potentially disrupting ongoing network upgrades.