Bell to work with Ericsson on 5G networks instead of Huawei

BCE Inc. has chosen to work with Ericsson—a Swedish telecommunications company—to build its Canadian 5G network, according to CBC News.

The telecom firm, based in Montreal noted in a Tuesday press release that it will use equipment from Ericsson to build the new cellular network.

Bell’s current networks already use Ericsson as a component supplier but the new 5G network will be able to run much more data, quicker.

"Bell's 5G strategy supports our goal to advance how Canadians connect with each other and the world, and Ericsson's innovative 5G network products and experience on the global stage will be key to our rollout of this game-changing mobile technology across Canada," said Mirko Bibic, the BCE president.

He also noted that Ericsson plays a role in 5G cellular networks throughout the world.

The partnership means that BCE will not use any of the 5G equipment from Huawei—the Chinese telecommunications equipment company. Many countries are hesitant to do business with Huawei as it works closely with the Chinese government and could possibly spy on cellular networks.

The telecom companies in the U.S. and Australia have been forbidden from working with Huawei to further develop their networks.

The Canadian government is still deciding whether it will allow the large company to work on 5G networks in the country.

In 2018, Rogers also announced that it would be working alongside Ericsson for its 5G network though Telus said in February that it will be using Huawei equipment.