Huawei and ZTE will soon see another international customer slam its door on their 5G technology. The Government of Canada is banning the use of equipment supplied by them because it has “serious concerns” that they could be directed by foreign governments in ways that would harm Canadian interests.
“Today, the Government of Canada is ensuring the long term safety of our telecommunications infrastructure,” said François-Philippe Champagne, Canada Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. “As part of that, the government intends to prohibit the inclusion of Huawei and ZTE products and services in Canada’s telecommunications systems.”
The decision has been in the works since the U.S. banned the Chinese wireless OEMs in 2019. Since then Britain, New Zealand and Australia have joined the U.S. in banning wireless products made by Huawei and ZTE, Inside Towers reported.
“Canada’s closest allies share the similar concerns about these two suppliers,” a policy statement by the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada reads. “Given the potential cascading economic and security impacts a telecommunications supply chain breach could cause, allies have taken actions to enable them to prohibit the deployment of Huawei and ZTE products and services in their 5G telecommunications networks.”
Additionally, companies that already use this equipment installed in their networks would be required to stop its use and remove it. The government intends to implement these measures as part of a broader agenda to promote the security of Canada’s telecommunications networks in consultation with industry.
In Canada, existing 5G equipment and managed services must be removed by June 28, 2024. Any use of new 4G equipment and managed services from Huawei and ZTE must be removed by December 31, 2027.
“The Government expects that telecommunications service providers will cease procurement of new 4G or 5G equipment and associated services by September 1, 2022,” the Canadian policy reads. “The government further intends to impose restrictions on Gigabit Passive Optical Network equipment used in fiber-optic networks.”
By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor
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