Canadian authorities will ban two of China’s biggest telecommunications equipment makers from operating their 5G phone networks.

François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Industry of the country, announced restrictions on Huawei and ZTE.

According to him, this measure will improve mobile Internet services in the country and ensure the safety of Canadians.

Huawei Canada said it was disappointed with the decision, calling it political.

“This is an unfortunate political decision that has nothing to do with cybersecurity or any of the technologies in question,” the company said in a statement.

Several countries, including the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand, have already imposed restrictions on Chinese telecommunications firms.

Together with Canada, these four countries participate in an intelligence-sharing agreement known as the Five Eyes. It began operating during the Cold War as a mechanism for monitoring the Soviet Union and exchanging secret information.

The Canadian government’s decision came as no surprise, as its allies have already banned Huawei and ZTE from using their own high-speed networks.

Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, Champagne said the decision was made after careful consideration by the security services and consultations with close allies.

“Let me be clear: we will always stand guard over the safety of Canadians and will take whatever steps are necessary to protect our telecommunications infrastructure,” he added. correct solution”.

A spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Ottawa told Reuters that Beijing views Canada’s security concerns as an excuse for political manipulation.

The Chinese representative also accused Canada of cooperating with the United States in order to squeeze Chinese companies out of the market.

The Chinese Embassy in Ottawa has not yet responded to BBC requests for comment.

Huawei Canada said its equipment has been thoroughly reviewed by the government and security agencies, and there have been no incidents involving the use of Huawei equipment.

“Banning Huawei equipment and services will result in significant economic losses in Canada and increase the cost of communications for Canadian consumers,” the company said in a statement. “Unfortunately, we as a business cannot influence this decision. However, we will do our best to in our power to protect the legitimate rights and interests of our customers, partners and ourselves.”

Another company, ZTE, said it disagreed with the Canadian government’s arguments, calling them highly speculative.

“We have always adhered to international standards by opening our cybersecurity labs to allow regulators and stakeholders to verify the security of ZTE products,” the company said.

5G is the new standard for mobile internet networks, allowing much faster data downloads and allowing more devices to connect to the network.

The decision of the Canadian government means that the country’s telecommunications companies will not be able to use equipment manufactured by Huawei and ZTE.

Companies that have already installed equipment from Chinese manufacturers will now have to dismantle it, Champagne said.

Canada first announced a review of Huawei’s participation in equipping fifth generation networks in September 2018.

US and other Western governments have been actively squeezing some of China’s largest tech and telecom companies out of their mobile network markets in recent years, citing national security concerns.

In November, US President Joe Biden signed a law barring companies deemed a security risk from obtaining new telecommunications equipment licenses in the country.

This means that equipment from Huawei, ZTE and three other Chinese companies cannot be used on US telecommunications networks.