Australia is set to spend over $370,000 to establish a tech network among the Quad countries — Australia, India, United States, and Japan — due to worsening ties with China, according to Medianama. In November, the Australian government set up a one time grant for the Quad Tech Network (QTN), supporting “research and promoting engagement with stakeholders such as academia and think-tanks (in all four countries) on cybersecurity and critical technology issues.”
The Quad countries are increasingly cooperative regarding the development of 5G technologies, in direct opposition to China’s Huawei and ZTE. Both Australia and the U.S. have already banned the two Chinese vendors due to security risks.
Other countries that have banned Huawei and ZTE equipment include the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Finland. India has already banned more than 250 Chinese-owned mobile apps, reported Medianama, and is still awaiting a 5G policy; however, telecom operators are currently moving away from Huawei and ZTE equipment.
According to Medianama, the QTN will be managed by a different organization in each country. In Australia, the Australian National University; in India, the Observer Research Foundation (ORF); in the U.S., the Center for a New American Security; and in Japan, the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies.
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