Chinese technology company Huawei has been barred by the Australian government from biding on its national broadband network (NBN) due to concerns over cyber attacks from China.
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard was quoted by the Associated Press saying that the move was among ‘prudent decisions’ to ensure the planned network functions properly.
Recently, many Western companies have been the targets of hacking attempts allegedly originating from China.
Expressing disappointment, Huawei Technologies said it was operating in Australia since 2004 and added that it already works with the country’s major telecoms carriers.
Last year, the Australian attorney general’s office had told Huawei that it would be barred from bidding for work on the $38bn network, according to The Australian Financial Review newspaper.
Though a spokesman for the attorney general’s office said it could not comment on individual companies, a Huawei official confirmed the newspaper’s account, according to the Associated Press.
Huawei issued a statement, which said it will continue to be open and transparent and work to find ways of providing assurance around the security of its technology.
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