By Elishya Perera
SYDNEY, Australia (CU)_Chinese telecom giant Huawei is calling on the Australian government to initiate discussions on how to roll out a new generation of mobile technology called 6G, following the ban on the company’s 5G mobile networks in Australia.
Huawei director of corporate affairs Jeremy Mitchell said while it was “not too late” to overturn the government’s decision regarding the 5G networks, however “it is very unlikely”.
Therefore, Mitchell urged the Australian government to have discussions with Huawei regarding the possibility of rolling out 6G mobile networks, which he says would be led by Huawei or another Chinese company.
“The conversation we now want to have with the Australian government is what do we do when 6G or 7G comes,” he said. “[…] like it or not Huawei or another Chinese company will be the leader in this area.”
Although “6G is just at the very beginning of research development”, however, “it’s important to get in now to understand where this technology is going,” Mitchell added.
In 2018, the federal government banned two Chinese telecommunication companies, including Huawei, from providing 5G technology in Australia, owing to the high security risk posed by Chinese companies.
Moreover, several members of the Five Eyes security alliance, including United States, Britain and New Zealand, have also banned Huawei from providing 5G technology, along with other countries including India.
“The government considers that the involvement of vendors who are likely to be subject to extrajudicial directions from a foreign government that conflict with Australian law, may risk failure by the carrier to adequately protect a 5G network from unauthorised access or interference,” a joint statement issued by then-Treasurer Scott Morrison and Communications Minister Mitch Fifield, said.
The Huawei director, however, noted that co-operating with Huawei from the outset would show that this view was “wrong” and he hoped the government would take a different approach with 6G.
Moreover, although it is believed that the recently developed trade tensions between Australia and China, which has disrupted agricultural and resources exports from Canberra, was prompted by PM Morrison’s call for an investigation into the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic, which emerged from Wuhan, however, several other issues, including Australia’s ban on Huawei’s entry into 5G wireless network in the country, is said to have contributed to the diplomatic row.
In the latest on relations between Beijing and Canberra, in December last year, the Federal Government of Australia confirmed that it will appeal to the World Trade Organization (WTO) over recent tariffs on barley exports, following the imposition of a combined 80.5% tariff on Australian barley in May 2020. Apart from barley, several other industries in Australia, including wine, beef, lobster, barley, timber and coal, have been severely affected by these trade tensions.
