Timeline of Canada’s decision to bar Huawei, ZTE from 5G networks

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This article was published 19/05/2022 (1550 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA – Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said Thursday Chinese telecoms Huawei and ZTE will be prohibited from parts of Canada’s telecommunications networks.

Here are some key dates to come on this prohibition:

Sept. 1, 2022: Service providers are asked to stop buying new 4G or 5G equipment and services from Huawei and ZTE after this date.

June 28, 2024: New 5G equipment and services from the two companies is prohibited, all existing equipment is removed and all services terminated.

Dec. 31, 2027: All new 4G equipment and services from Huawei and ZTE will be prohibited and all existing equipment must be ripped out.

Key dates leading up to this decision:

Feb. 13, 2018: FBI Director Chris Wray warns against buying Huawei and ZTE phones.

Aug. 23, 2018: Australia says it won’t allow Huawei or ZTE to be part of the 5G rollout in that country.

Aug. 23, 2018: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada relies on its own security agencies for advice on the security of its telecommunications networks.

Oct. 2018: U.S. senators ask Canada to consider banning Huawei from its 5G rollout.

Jan. 18, 2019: China says a Canadian ban on Huawei’s 5G tech will trigger “repercussions.”

Feb. 21, 2019: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says countries using Huawei tech pose a risk to the U.S.

May 15, 2019: U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order barring Huawei from doing business with any organization operating within the United States.

June 2019: Trump lifts some restrictions on Huawei as part of a bid to restart trade talks with China.

July 2019: Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale tells The Canadian Press Canada needs more information from the U.S. about the potential security threat from Huawei, and warns a decision is not likely before the federal election in the fall of 2019.

August 2019: U.S. bans government agencies and departments from doing business with Huawei, ZTE and three other Chinese firms.

March 28, 2019: British watchdog warns that Huawei products represent “significantly increased risk.”

July 2020: The United Kingdom bars Huawei from 5G networks with a phase-out date set for 2027. The date is moved up to 2021 the following fall.

November 2020: Canada’s Parliament passes a Conservative motion asking the government to ban Huawei within a month. The Liberals vote against the non-binding motion, but opposition parties vote in favour.

September 2021: Trudeau says a Huawei decision is coming “soon” following another federal election where he was returned as the leader of a second minority government.

May 18, 2022: China announces it is lifting a ban on Canadian canola imports that had been in place for three years.

May 19, 2022: Canada announces prohibition of Huawei and ZTE from Canada’s 5G networks.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 19, 2022.