Canada bans Huawei, ZTE from providing equipment for 5G networks-Information Technology

The decision was taken by the Canadian government due to national security concerns related to telecommunications infrastructure, although some opposition politicians said it was too late to do so.

The Canadian federal government has banned Huawei from supplying equipment for 5G networks in Canada due to security concerns – a decision many critics say should have been made sooner. The ban will also apply to ZTE – another major Chinese telecommunications equipment maker.

The Canadian government’s policy notice says businesses will have to remove or stop using 5G equipment from Huawei and ZTE by the deadline of June 28, 2024, and remove or stop using 4G equipment from February 2. the company before December 31, 2027, and stop buying new 4G or 5G equipment from Huawei and ZTE before September 2022.

Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne said in a press conference: “This was the right decision, and we are pleased to announce it today because it will ensure security for telecommunications network [Canada] for generations to come.” Responding to a question about the risk of retaliation from China, Mr. Champagne indicated that the Canadian government did not consider this when making decisions.

Canadian Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino said the decision marked “a new era in protecting the telecommunications industry”. [Canada]” and said the government made the decision after carefully reviewing wireless technology and 5G.

Mendicino also said that Canada will introduce new draft legislation to protect 5G networks, by creating a legal framework to protect critical systems and giving the government new tools to deal with security threats. network.

Opposition politicians in Canada say the government has waited too long to make this decision. 2 Conservative MPs Raquel Dancho and Gerard Deltell said that the Canadian government should have banned Huawei from participating in the construction of 5G networks earlier, and expressed concern about the cost of removing 5G equipment from Huawei and ZTE for Huawei. with business.

As for Huawei, Huawei’s vice president of corporate affairs in Canada, Mr. Alykhan Velshi, said that he was not surprised by this decision, but still felt disappointed. Mr. Velshi said that the Canadian government has not presented evidence that Huawei poses a threat to national security and questioned the issue of periodic software updates to Huawei equipment installed and used.

“Our stance is to continue to support Huawei equipment being used in telecommunications networks – a process that requires technical cooperation between Huawei and the federal government over many years,” said Mr. Velshi. until this number is still in use.”

According to Mr. Velshi, Canada’s Huawei consumer products such as phones and smart watches will not be affected. Huawei has also focused on R&D and consumer products since 2018 to account for the Canadian government’s decision.