Canada Set to Decide on Huawei 5G Ban

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Canada is expected to make a decision on whether to ban Huawei Technologies from the country’s 5G network in the coming weeks, according to Global News. It’s a decision that has been in the works for several years since the Trump Administration announced its ban, which was followed by bans or restrictions from other countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. The bans came as a result of fears that the Chinese government will use the technology to spy on people.

While some view Canada’s delay in making a decision as a de facto ban, Canadian telecom companies spent more than $700 million on Huawei equipment in the interim, according to Global News.

Beijing’s ambassador to Canada Cong Peiwu has spoken out, warning that Canada risks driving away Chinese investors and companies if it institutes the bans, according to the South China Morning Post. Security concerns surrounding Huawei had been “invented by the United States and the main purpose is to crack down on Huawei,” Cong said during a webinar hosted by the Center for International Governance Innovation think tank on Tuesday.

Canada became entangled in the Huawei controversy first hand in 2018 when Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s chief financial officer, was arrested in Vancouver, British Columbia, on a U.S. fraud warrant. Last September, the U.S. Department of Justice agreed to defer prosecution of charges against Meng until late 2022, after which point the charges could be dropped, according to CNN. She was then allowed to return to China.

By J. Sharpe Smith Inside Towers Technology Editor

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