TORONTO (AP) – Wireless carriers in Canada won’t be allowed to install Huawei equipment in their high-speed 5G networks, the Canadian government said on Thursday, 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 United States (US) 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 François-Philippe Champagne said.
Canada’s ban also includes ZTE Corp, one of China’s biggest tech companies and one that is state-owned.
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 defences,” Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said. Mendicino said the government did an extensive review and is redoubling efforts to protect Canadians.
China condemned the move against one of its national champions as a form of “political manipulation” carried out in coordination with the US, which was aimed at “suppressing” Chinese companies in violation of free market principles.
“China will comprehensively and seriously evaluate this incident and take all necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies,” the Chinese Embassy in Canada said in a statement posted on its website.
China commonly employs such language in commercial disputes, which often does not lead to a firm response from Beijing.
The US government has been lobbying allies like Canada for years to exclude Huawei from new ultra-fast 5G mobile networks over worries that China’s communist rulers could compel the company to help with cyberespionage.
The US has warned it would reconsider intelligence sharing with any countries that use Huawei gear.
The company has 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 US.”
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, 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 virtual reality, immersive gaming and autonomous vehicles emerge.
