Canadian telecommunications carriers block Huawei from 5G networks
They chose Nokia and Ericsson over Chinese suppliers.
Two Canadian telecom suppliers decided not to buy equipment
from Huawei Technologies for their 5G network, in a major defeat to the Chinese
supplier's business ambitions in maple leaf country.
Vancouver-based Telus issued a statement on Tuesday 2-6
saying it will apply equipment from Ericsson and Nokia to build
fifth-generation infrastructure. The same day, Bell Canada announced it
had chosen Ericsson as the source of the 5G device.
Both Telus and Bell used Huawei equipment for parts of their
current network. Telus in particular ran a 5G research center with Huawei,
but the Canadian operator will separate itself from the Chinese supplier for
the time being.
Their announcement follows a recent court ruling that
blocked the efforts of Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, ending the
extradition proceedings to the United States. She was charged with
financial fraud, which has been held by Canadian authorities since December
2018.
The Canadian government is yet to make a clear decision on
whether or not to allow Huawei equipment in the country's 5G network. Bell
may still consider cooperating with Huawei in building 5G infrastructure if the
Canadian government gives the green light so, according to local media, and
Telus can follow suit.
Huawei has signed 5G trade contracts with more than 90
telecommunications companies worldwide, mainly in Europe. The company is
pouring out more resources into expanding its business outside China.
The U.S. government, meanwhile, lobbied its allies to
eliminate Huawei, citing potential security risks. Even in the UK, where
the government has allowed Huawei to join the 5G network on a limited basis,
more and more officials are calling for a complete ban on the tech
conglomerate.
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