Huawei Canada remains hopeful it can participate in 5G network deployment

Huawei Canada say that it is hopeful that it might still be able to participate in the rollout of 5G in the country, despite the challenges.

The Canadian Press reports that the Chinese company says it is collateral damage in the Trump administration’s trade war with China. It remains hopeful that the federal government’s Huawei 5G security review will steer clear of political machinations by the Trump administration to undermine the company.

“We see ourselves as being caught in the middle of the U.S.-China trade war. Canada is also unfortunately caught in the middle of it,” Alykhan Velshi, the vice-president of corporate affairs at Huawei Canada, told The Canadian Press.

“That is the context in which a lot of announcements and decisions are made, as the Trump administration is demanding that everyone pick a side whether it is actually in their interest to go all in on one side or that other.”

This comes as Canada is now the only member of the Five Eyes alliance to have not banned Huawei from 5G networks. Although the U.K. previously granted Huawei a limited role in its 5G deployment, the country recently reversed its decision following a security review.

The government of Canada is expected to make a decision regarding its Huawei 5G security review sometime this year. Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains has said the government won’t be pressured or bullied by other nations on this issue, and that the security of Canadians is the most important factor.

Source: The Canadian Press