5G ban in Canada: Tech companies upset

Huawei said on Friday that Ottawa’s decision to exclude the Chinese telecoms giant from Canada’s 5G networks was “an unfortunate political decision” that could not be justified based on national security concerns.

“Huawei Canada is disappointed by the Canadian government’s decision,” the company’s Canadian subsidiary said in an email to AFP. “This is an unfortunate political decision that has nothing to do with cyber security or any of the technologies in question.”

It said that Huawei hardware and software has been “routinely and closely scrutinized” by the Canadian government and its security agencies, and to date there have been “zero security incidents caused by Huawei equipment.”

Canadian Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne made the announcement on Thursday, citing Ottawa’s “intention to prohibit the inclusion of Huawei and ZTE products and services in Canada’s telecommunication systems.”

The move follows key allies who have outright banned or restricted Huawei.

The United States has warned of the security implications of giving Chinese tech companies access to telecommunications infrastructure that could be used for state espionage

Both Huawei and Beijing have denied the charges, with Beijing threatening retaliation if countries impose limits on Huawei’s telecoms equipment.