The federal government hopes telecommunications firms will opt for other vendors if it delays announcing whether the Chinese company’s equipment can be used in 5G networks long enough, preventing Canada from taking sides in the ongoing U.S.-China technology dispute, sources who claim familiarity with the approach told Reuters. They disagreed on whether Ottawa has already decided to impose a Huawei ban. (Reuters)

Talking point: The strategy appears to be working, at least with the large carriers. Rogers, Bell and Telus have announced they’ll use Ericsson or Nokia gear for 5G buildouts, although smaller firms like SaskTel and Ice Wireless are still buying Huawei equipment. Ottawa’s inaction may not be sustainable, however. As my colleague Catherine reported last week, foreign policy and technology experts believe Canada will eventually have to choose a side of the growing U.S.-China digital divide. They expect it’ll be the former. If so, Ottawa appears set to be a distinctly junior partner. Earlier this month, Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne’s office told my colleague Zane the U.S. government hadn’t informed them ahead of its Clean Network announcement, which cited Rogers, Bell and Telus.