‘Pull and replace (Rip and replaceThis is exactly the mantra that the United States has given telecom operators in its territory to get rid of the equipment of the controversial Chinese giant Huawei.
In the name of national security, US federal authorities ruled last December that these antennas and radios should be removed as quickly as possible, due to fears of espionage. And they lent nearly $ 2 billion in public funds to achieve this.
Meanwhile, in Canada and Quebec, there is a good chance that your cell phone will work with Huawei devices.
Thorough investigation
Over the past few months, our FBI has examined how Huawei has arrived in our country since 2009. The company has been blessed with Ottawa, and especially the Harper government, for its success. Installation.
There are approximately 24,000 Cell Towers with Huawei equipment across the country, including more than 4,500 in all regions of Quebec, as you can see on pages 2 and 107 of this release.
Should we also be afraid of being spied on? Huawei Canada says the idea is “absurd”.
But our journalists, Marc-Andre Saborin, managed to obtain many unsuspecting testimonies, including that of former Canadian intelligence chief Richard Faden, who believed that “everything should be removed”.
look at me The horrific documentary La BrèchePrepared by our team and now available on Club illico, we can see that a whole portion of our economy may have been stolen by China over the past decade.
Confessions of former Huawei employees and other confidential sources were obtained for our investigation office after prolonged efforts to gain their trust. It was worth it, as they are invaluable in understanding the methods of this business.
The revelation of the role China may have played in the downfall of Nortel’s former Canadian telecoms gem is particularly alarming. Sounds like a spy movie scenario. Just like the one we will present to you tomorrow, about the close ties between Huawei and some universities.
The decision must be made
We understand that the concern goes far beyond the political tensions surrounding the prison and the summary trials in China of Canadians Michael Coffrig and Michael Spavor.
Should Canada allow Huawei to co-develop the next generation of cellular networks, 5G? Or should we follow the example of the United Kingdom, Australia, Sweden and the United States, which have already decided that this is not the case?
This is an issue that the Trudeau government should take a stand on quickly.
Jean-Louis Fortin
Director of the investigation authority