Canada likely to wait until after election to make Huawei decision: report

The Canadian government is most likely not going to decide on a ban regarding Huawei until after the upcoming federal election.

Reuters reported exclusively after speaking with sources anonymously that the decision to do so was made due to the tense relationship Canada has been facing with China.

The sources told Reuters that a decision regarding Huawei will not happen before the election and that a final verdict has not been made yet.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale has been reviewing 5G technologies in Canada and whether or not Huawei should participate in providing technology for the rollout of the next-generation in mobile network technology. In April, Goodale said that a decision would happen by the election.

Right now Bell and Telus have close ties with Huawei. Postponing the ban could affect the carriers’ rollout of the new advanced network.

Neither carrier has announced what company its 5G vendor will be.

The sources told Reuters that a ban would make China upset and a decision would not help Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with voters before the election.

The U.K. has not decided whether it intends to ban Huawei.

More recently, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to ban the Huawei from working with U.S. companies. Trump’s administration since then has now allowed companies to work with Huawei and will grant licences so long as the partnership doesn’t pose a national security threat to the United States.

Source: Reuters