Bell and Telus are handling Huawei equipment removal differently amid confusion over a federal ban that stalled after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau prorogued Parliament.
All of its Huawei equipment has been removed from its 5G network said Bell to the Globe and Mail, following Ottawa’s directive. “Our understanding is that 5G equipment is anything that broadcasts a 5G signal,” said Bell spokesperson Luc Levasseur.
Telus, however, still uses some Huawei radios, arguing they were originally 4G equipment that received a software upgrade to work on 5G networks. The radios identified are not stand-alone 5G radios, said Telus spokesperson Richard Gilhooley. Telus says it is “fully compliant” with the directive, which applies specifically to 5G radios.”
As of December 13, 2024, a government database lists 6,000 Huawei-made radios operating on Telus’ 5G network, according to the Globe and Mail. The entries include model numbers, certification codes, and manufacturing details linked to Huawei, according to ISED.
Update Feb. 6, 2025: Telus explained to iPhone in Canada that since each radio can broadcast across multiple spectrum bands simultaneously, it appears multiple times in the records, making the total number of entries seem much higher than the actual number of radios. So in other words, it’s not 6,000. We are awaiting a number from Telus and will update accordingly.
The ban, announced in 2022, required telecoms to remove Huawei 5G equipment by June 2024 and 4G gear by 2027. But since the legislation backing the directive died in Parliament, there is no clear enforcement.
Government officials say the intent was to remove all Huawei and ZTE equipment from 5G networks, but Telus’ interpretation leaves a grey area. Ottawa has not confirmed whether it is aware of Telus’s ongoing Huawei usage.
Both Bell and Telus still use Huawei equipment on their 4G networks, which is allowed until 2027.
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Does anyone care about misinformation, privacy, and security anymore? It doesn't seem so.
I care hence i stick to secure. Dont cry when someone steals your identity cleans your account oiut or takes a loan under your credit. This is what happens when you become complacent to security
Every device sold has the ability to surveillance and violate privacy. Welcome to the wild wild west of internet highway
Why bother, bell and Telus will do whatever they want to do, who's gonna stop them, it's simple.. Telecom is bigger better than government.. If governments cared, they'd stop these big three from stealing from the Canadian people via mobile terms and conditions. Raising prices! False advertising, and simply misleading consumers
US tried to contain Chinese technology, no evidence whatsoever, Huawei is the biggest and the best in the world anyway. Canada like a lapdog, might just well be the 51st state, wait, was recently threatened tariff by US? lol Sinophobia has not made US great again, and Canada still has the world's slowest and most expensive internet lol
Ok comrade.
"Thellus flips the bird to the federal government and gets away with it". There, all you need to know.