Canada is the latest country to ban the use of Huawei and ZTE devices in general in telecommunications, and especially in 5G networks, as the government’s announcement this week detailed its intention to introduce a broader, new telecom security framework.
Canadian telecom companies will be officially barred from buying new Huawei or ZTE equipment until September this year, according to a government policy statement on Thursday. Canada will order the removal of all Huawei and ZTE gear from 5G networks by June 28, 2024, as well as the 4G / LTE devices of those companies by the end of 2027.
This means that, like the United States, Canada’s move to ban some Chinese networking gear has already been extended to used devices, requiring telecom companies that have purchased such gear to replace it. It is unclear from the announcement whether Canada will follow the US lead in providing financial support to organizations working to free them from the networks of banned equipment, although the statement said the government plans to “engage with the industry” to ensure logistics. Considered for gear replacement.
Ultimately, however, Canada’s focus is on removing potentially dangerous gears from the country’s most important communications networks.
“The Canadian government has serious concerns about suppliers such as Huawei and ZTE who may be forced to comply with extrajudicial instructions from foreign governments in ways that conflict with Canadian law or may be detrimental to Canadian interests,” the statement said.
Canada joins the rest of the Five Ice Countries in implementing such telecom equipment bans – the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Concerns about potentially compromised networks in the field of Chinese-made equipment were first expressed about a decade ago. US House Intelligence Committee October 2012 report Huawei and ZTE have posed a security threat to their equipment due to the unclear nature of their association with the ruling Communist Party of China, and various measures have been taken to limit or ban their equipment.
Huawei and ZTE have been arguing that the western features of their equipment are unsafe, insisting that Beijing’s fears of compromise are unrealistic, and that the Chinese government itself condemned Canada’s sanctions at a news conference on Friday, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin saying the security was uncertain.
“The move violates market economy policies and the rules of free trade and seriously damages the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies,” Wang said.
Copyright © 2022 IDG Communications, Inc.
