Canada joins allies in barring Huawei from 5G networks
TORONTO — Wireless carriers in Canada won’t be allowed to install Huawei equipment in their highspeed 5G networks, the Canadian government has announced, joining allies in banning the giant Chinese technology company.
Canada had been the only member of the Five Eyes intelligence-pooling alliance not to bar or restrict use of equipment from Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. in its 5G networks. The U.S. and the other members — Britain, Australia and New Zealand — previously banned Huawei.
“We are announcing our intention to prohibit the inclusion of Huawei and ZTE products and services in Canada’s telecommunications systems,” Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said this month.
Canada’s ban also includes ZTE Corp., one of China’s biggest tech companies and one that is stateowned.
Champagne added that “providers who already have this equipment installed will be required to cease its use and remove it.” He said Canada’s wireless companies won’t be offered compensation.
Canada’s major wireless companies already had started working with other providers.
“There are many hostile actors who are ready to exploit vulnerabilities in our defenses,” Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said.
Mendicino said the government did an extensive review and is redoubling efforts to protect Canadians.
The U.S. government has long been lobbying allies such as Canada to exclude Huawei from new ultrafast 5G mobile networks over worries that China’s communist rulers could compel the company to help with cyberespionage. The U.S. has warned it would reconsider intelligence sharing with any countries that use Huawei gear.
The company has repeatedly denied the allegations.
“We’re disappointed but not surprised. We’re surprised it took the government so long to make a decision,” Huawei spokesman Alykhan Velshi said. “We see this as a political decision, one born of political pressure primarily from the United States.”
Velshi said there will be Huawei equipment in Canada for years to come. He said the company has over 1,500 employees in Canada and two-thirds of them work in research and development.
The development of 5G networks will give people speedier online connections and provide vast data capacity to meet demand as more things link to the internet and innovations such as virtual reality, immersive gaming and autonomous vehicles emerge.
Huawei is the biggest global supplier of network gear for phone and internet companies. It has been a symbol of China’s progress in becoming a technological world power — and a subject of U.S. security and law enforcement concerns.
Some analysts say Chinese companies have flouted international rules and norms and stolen technology.