Canada to ban China’s Huawei Technologies from 5G networks

The Liberal government has decided to ban Chinese tech giants Huawei and ZTE from Canada’s 5G network.

In a Thursday announcement, Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said the decision comes after a thorough review by security agencies.

“The vast majority of the 5G network in Canada — and I would say the 4G network, as well — exclude equipment and services from either Huawei or ZTE. So, what we’re saying today is to provide clarity and predictability to the communication companies across the country,” he said.

Champagne says the federal government will not compensate telecoms companies that have already spent money on tech from those companies. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says the government will also introduce new legislation to protect critical infrastructure.

BREAKING: Innovation Minister @FP_Champagne confirms Huawei and ZTE products and services are being banned from our 5G Network. Companies who already have those products and services will be required to remove them #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/7yG6GHPjs0

— Cormac Mac Sweeney (@cmaconthehill) May 19, 2022

The development of 5G, or fifth-generation, networks will give people speedier online connections and provide vast data capacity to meet ravenous demand as more and more things link to the internet and innovations such as autonomous vehicles emerge.

The Opposition Conservatives and other critics have long pressed the Liberals to deny Huawei a role in building the country’s 5G infrastructure, saying it would allow Beijing to spy on Canadians more easily.

Related articles:

• Canada has no choice but to bar Huawei from 5G mobile networks, security experts say

• B.C. judge orders return of items seized during 2018 arrest of Meng Wanzhou

• Canada urged to join allies in tougher China stance after Kovrig, Spavor release

Some say Huawei’s participation would give it access to an array of digital information gleaned from how, when and where Canadian customers use internet-connected devices. In turn, the theory goes, Chinese security agencies could force the company to hand over the personal information.

Three of Canada’s partners in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance — the United States, Britain and Australia — have taken decisive steps to curb the use of Huawei gear in their countries’ respective 5G networks.

The situation had become tense in late 2018, when the “two Michaels” (Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig) were arbitrarily detained by China after Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Vancouver on a U.S. extradition request. The hostage diplomacy situation ended in September.