Canada will soon ban 5G gears made by Huawei Technologies and ZTE Corp. Here’s more on why Canada is banning two major Chinese tech firms from its networks.
Huawei and ZTE Corp face 5G network ban in Canada
On Thursday, a spokesman for Marco Mendicino, the Canadian Public safety minister revealed that the two Chinese mobile makers will be facing the ban. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government will also make a final announcement on telecommunications security. For years, the US has been encouraging the Canadian government to deny Huawei a role in its 5G infrastructure. They believe that this will allow Beijing to spy on Canadians through the company.
Huawei is one of the biggest suppliers of network gear in the world. But, the firm has been a top concern for US security and law enforcement. The Canadian government ordered a review of Huawei in 2018. However, it faced a delay due to diplomatic tensions with Beijing. Francois-Philippe Champagne believes that the move will aid in improving Canadian mobile internet services. Additionally, it will also “protect the safety and security of Canadians”. Champagne is the Canadian Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry. He added that the move comes following “a full review by our security agencies and consultation with our closest allies”.
Canada joins the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network with the ban
By banning Huawei and ZTE Corp’s 5G gears, Canada is going to join the rest of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network. The Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network includes Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, and the USA. The intelligence-sharing mechanism evolved during the cold war as a method for monitoring the Soviet Union and for sharing classified details.
“Let me be very clear. We will always protect the safety and security of Canadians. And will take any actions necessary to safeguard our telecommunication infrastructure. In a 5G world, at a time where we rely more and more in our daily lives [on] our network, this is the right decision,” added Champagne. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Canada stated that Beijing is seeing these concerns as a “pretext for political manipulation”. They are also accusing Canada of working with the US to suppress Chinese firms.