Canada bans Huawei and ZTE from 5G networks, citing national security risks

The Canadian government has joined many of its allies and banned the use of Huawei and ZTE tech in its 5G networks, as part of a new telecommunications security framework. “The Government is committed to maximizing the social and economic benefits of 5G and access to telecommunications services writ large, but not at the …

[martinusher]

Bit late to the party, aren't they?

Huawei's threat to National Security was not just last year's threat, it was a good couple of years back. By now it should have been possible to quantify any real threat. (sound of crickets chirping....)

[Grunchy]

Re: Bit late to the party, aren't they?

You’re right, if Huawei hadn’t done anything illicit with its back doors yet that proves definitively that they never will. Once again Canadians smear egg all over their foolish, round eye faces !

[Yes Me]

Re: Bit late to the party, aren't they?

if HuaweiCisco hadn’t done anything illicit with its back doors yet that proves definitively that they never will.

Fixed it for you.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Bit late to the party, aren't they?

The two Michaels mean anything to you?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Bit late to the party, aren't they?

Oh... hey there Canada.

Now, moving on to what's interesting in "$ANY_OTHER_COUNTRY"

[thames]

Re: Bit late to the party, aren't they?

Canada does independent security reviews on all telecommunications kit from all suppliers, not just Huawei, and has done so for many years.

No problems were ever found with Huawei kit of a nature which didn't also exist in that of their competitors such as Nokia or Ericsson.

The complaints from intelligence officials in Canada relating to Huawei had to do with how it affected diplomatic relations with their counterparts in the US intelligence apparatus and US threats to cut off security cooperation via "Five Eyes" if Canada didn't fall into line on the Huawei issue.

[Yes Me]

Re: Bit late to the party, aren't they?

Exactly. It's a beat-up, orchestrated by tRump and inexplicably continued by Biden.

There has never been a shred of evidence that Huawei or ZTE equipment is more prone to hidden backdooring than any other vendor's kit.

The whole nonsense is purely the result of lobbying by Western companies that hate fair competition from cheaper competitors. And probably due to some tRumpist bias in some of the 3-letter agencies.

[Anonymous Coward]

That's why we need end-to-end encryption...

A bit sad to clobber encryption, only to find that the interception kit is made be China.

[Anonymous Coward]

More Misdirection.......More Window Dresssing......

I seem to recall that Edward Snowden mentioned that Cisco kit was backdoored.....courtesy of those friendly folk in Fort Meade.

.......so when are we going to hear that there will be a billion dollar program to rip and replace Cisco?

.......and then we need to know exactly what will be used to replace the internet!!!

Who do you trust?.......Ghostbusters!!!!

[VoiceOfTruth]

Re: More Misdirection.......More Window Dresssing......

The USA spies on everyone. It knows all about what these politicians get up to. A few leaks would cause a lot of embarrassment.

[Yes Me]

Re: More Misdirection.......More Window Dresssing......

Why the downvotes? What VoiceOfTruth says is simple fact.

[Barry Rueger]

An apology

Please believe that many intelligent Canadians are deeply embarrassed that the Justin Trudeau government is still clinging to this absurd relic of the Trump era.

Most of us understand that Huawei is no more or less dangerous than any other tech company, and that arguably American companies are as much of a threat as the Chinese. I have yet to see anything in the press where Canada, or anyone else, has actually demonstrated a defined action on Huawei's part.

Canada's wireless industry is an embarrassment, with prices in the stratosphere and services in the gutter. With the entire infrastructure and retail end controlled by a cabal of three companies there's no incentive for competition, and the government has shown no interest in regulating them for the good of ordinary people.

Finally, in the interests of transparency, my Huawei phone is hands down the best tech that I've bought in a decade, and I'm in no rush to retire it any time soon.

[WhereAmI?]

Re: An apology

This: "arguably American companies are as much of a threat as the Chinese". It's convenient to ignore that fact.

Upvoted.

[thames]

Re: An apology

It's quite possible that this was part of the deal Ottawa negotiated to with the Americans for agreeing to drop the extradition request for Meng.

A decent interval has now gone by so that Ottawa can claim there was no connection, and they drop the news right before one of the biggest holiday weekends of the year (Victoria Day) when people are too busy heading off to the cottage or elsewhere to pay much attention to the news. By the time people are back from holiday the news cycle will have moved on and this will be forgotten.

[Yes Me]

Re: An apology

So we must have a small clique of NSA apologists here, who systematically downvote any post telling the truth (that there is no evidence whatever that Huawei and ZTE kit is more backdoored than anyone else's, and that this whole business is a political beat-up).

I'll come back tomorrow to count up my downvotes...

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: An apology

> I'll come back tomorrow to count up my downvotes...

Don't bother. You're much too transparent.

[Sub 20 Pilot]

Re: An apology

My sympathies my friend. Us here in the UK, or at least a lot of us are just as pissed off with the incompetents in charge making an U-turn and going against GCHQ's original recommendations on Huawei switchgear, at a cost of billions to the taxpayer eventually just because that arsehole Trump shouted at everyone to fall into line.

When the Chinese eventually take charge, along with backing from India us that blindly followed the US will be royally stuffed.

[VoiceOfTruth]

Re: An apology

If India and China could settle their differences, it would be whole new ball game. Neither country accepts lectures from western countries which invaded them and plundered their resources. The idea of India taking a lecture from a tin pot once-was-powerful country on the periphery of Europe is absurd.

It's OK to have disagreements, but if they worked more cooperatively the world would take a very sudden turn in that direction.

[VoiceOfTruth]

I wonder how much Cisco stuff there is in Canada

Welcome to your new backdoored hardware. All your data is read by Uncle Sam.

[Kefik]

It also said it had serious concerns about suppliers who “could be compelled to comply with extrajudicial directions from foreign governments in ways .....”

Surely they'll soon forbid using any American suppliers' products. I can't wait...

Unless of course, no extrajudicial directions from the US government would ever conflict with Canadian laws or be detrimental to Canadian interests. Like arresting and deporting a foreign citizen who had never broken Canadian laws.

Colony, anyone?

Poor sobs that weren't even capable of fixing their own government payroll for years, among other things.

[Bitsminer]

Announcement after all the boys have moved on

The top three telcos were all very aware this was coming. They've all chosen the Scandanavian kit, e.g.

Telus announces 5g network equipment partners (undated but I guess mid-2020).

True to form, Trudeau "decides" after the decision was already made by others and he takes the credit.