Canada: We'll boot 'security risk' firms from gov network bid race
We won't say Hu(awei), but...
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The Canadian government has said that it will be invoking a "national security exemption" as it hires firms to build a secure network, hinting that Chinese telco Huawei could be excluded.
The exemption allows the government to kick out of the running any companies or nations considered a security risk, which coming in the wake of the US report earlier this week labelling Huawei and ZTE as security threats, strongly indicates they're out of the bidding.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper's top media spokesman refused to say for sure whether the government had Huawei in mind when invoking the exemption.
"The government is going to be choosing carefully in the construction of this network and it has invoked the national security exception for the building of this network," he said, according to the Calgary Herald.
I’m not going to comment on any one company in particular,” he told a news conference. “I’ll leave it to you if you think Huawei should be a part of the Canadian government security system."
The US Intelligence Committee released a report on Monday that claimed that both Huawei and ZTE were security risks and American companies should look elsewhere for networking equipment. The committee alleges that either firm could allow their gear to be used by the Chinese government for cyber espionage.
Both ZTE and Huawei have vigorously denied the allegations, claiming that their government has never asked them to do anything untoward and if it did, they would refuse.
Huawei has a strong foothold in Canada after winning a contract in 2008 to build networks for domestic operators Telus and Bell Canada. ®
COMMENTS
Harper - copy of Cameron with strange American-like accent
This Harper panders to Americans which is why Canada is acting like a mouse, again.
What we need is a new Trudeau, he told the Americans where to go. Unfortunately his sole surviving son is too young to repeat the act. Yet.
So Canada buys overpriced Cisco equipment ... made in China.
Re: And all those US chips designed in Israel?
Amdocs and Comverse Infosys both have links to the Israeli security services ...
Re: Rubbing their hands in glee
Main difference is the bulk of the cash goes to the brand and R&D which will be the Western company.
It's a bit like coffee, Third World nations are welcome to sell raw product to Western companies so they can package and sell their coffee. However if someone in the Third (or Second) World starts making their own brand of coffee it will get taxed out of the Western market.
With Second World nations the theory is as long as you're willing to manufacture western kit it's all well and good, but start selling your own kit then you're out. Just like the third world just with manufactured goods instead of raw materials.
The idea is to keep the money making areas (IP, R&D, brand, government contracts, etc) in the pocket of civilised Western folk.
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