US lawmakers urge Canada to block Huawei from 5G networks

Two U.S. lawmakers, both critics of China, have urged Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to consider dropping China’s Huawei Technologies from supplying 5G mobile networks, Reuters reported.
Senators Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, and Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, said they have concerns about the prospects of Huawei equipment in Canada’s 5G networks on the grounds that it would pose dangers for U.S. networks.

“While Canada has strong telecommunications security safeguards in place, we have serious concerns that such safeguards are inadequate given what the United States and other allies know about Huawei,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter to Trudeau. Warner and Rubio are on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

Huawei’s chips and equipment have faced scepticism in a number of developed countries. Australia recently said that it would ban Huawei from supplying 5G networks to domestic telecom operators.

Huawei, the world’s largest maker of telecommunications network gear, has repeatedly denied engaging in intelligence work for any government.

Huawei India CEO recently said the government has invited the telecom network maker to conduct 5G trails in the country.

Other telecom equipment makers such as Sweden-based Ericsson, Finland-based Nokia, Korea-based Samsung and China-based ZTE are not facing similar allegations in global telecom markets.