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It looks like Australia won't be getting any 5G support for its existing wireless networks, that is from Huawei anyway. It was Thursday morning when the company received the news from the Austrailan government. With China's recent clashes in trade and the rise in rhetoric exchanges with the U.S. and other Western nations, it should not come as a surprise that the ban was related to possible national security concerns.

This statement from the Communications Minister notified the public of the ban

Huawei left the following tweet in response to the decision: We have been informed by the Govt that Huawei & ZTE have been banned from providing 5G technology to Australia. This is a extremely disappointing result for consumers. Huawei is a world leader in 5G. Has safely & securely delivered wireless technology in Aust for close to 15 yrs".

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The mindset is that there are ties between Huawei and the Chinese Government. On the record, the Australian government had this to say in a statement by Communication & Arts Minister Mitch Fifield when informing the Australian public of the ban: "The Government is committed to protecting this vital technology. To fully realise 5G’s benefits, Government and industry need to continue to work together to take necessary steps to safeguard the security of Australians’ information and communications at all times, and the integrity and availability of the networks themselves."

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It has to be noted that the Australian Feds did not mention the Chinese government specifically, though this piece from the same statement above is telling: "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."

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That said however, this is not the first time that the Australian government has blocked Huawei's communications infrastructure from becoming a major player on the island continent. In 2012 for example, it was blocked from the bidding for a large national broadband network. Huawei is not alone however, the same measure applied to Chinese tech firm ZTE in their attempt to provide 5G technology to the land down under. Their largest shareholder, a Chinese state controlled corporation has urged the public that their products do not provide any security risks.

Some Australian companies who tested Huawei's 5G technology expressed disappointment in the Australian government's decisions, but said they would comply with federal regulations. 

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