Sydney: Chinese telecom giants Huawei and ZTE have effectively been banned from rolling out Australia’s 5G network after Canberra warned of security risks with companies beholden to foreign governments, prompting Beijing to denounce “ideological biases”.
Huawei — one of the world’s largest telecommunications equipment and services providers — has been under scrutiny in some countries, including the United States and Australia, over its alleged close links to Beijing.
It was blocked from bidding for contracts on Australia’s ambitious national broadband project in 2012, reportedly due to concerns about cyber-security.
The company has long disputed claims of any links to the Chinese government.
Canberra said in a statement that the “involvement of vendors who are likely to be subject to extrajudicial directions from a foreign government that conflict with Australian law” posed a security risk.
Huawei Australia tweeted that the decision was an “extremely disappointing result for consumers”. “Huawei is a world leader in 5G. Has safely & securely delivered wireless technology in Aust for close to 15 yrs,” the firm tweeted. (PTI)
