Australia bans China’s Huawei from bidding for National Broadband Network

China's Huawei Technologies, one of the world's largest makers of telecommunications equipment, has been barred by the Australian government from bidding for the $A32-billion ($33.44 billion) National Broadband Network (NBN) amid concerns over "cyber attacks originating from China".

Jeremy Mitchell, a spokesman for Huawei in Australia, yesterday said, ''We were informed by the government that there is no role for Huawei in Australia's NBN."

NBN, created in 2009 by the Australian government, aims to connect 93 per cent of Australian homes and workplaces through optical fibre that would provide high-speed broadband services in urban and regional areas.

The Australian government has committed to invest up to $38 billion on the project that is expected to be rolled out by 2020.

The Australian Financial Review yesterday said in a report that Huawei was seeking to secure an A$1-billion supply contract from NBN, but the company has been barred from bidding by Australia's Attorney-General.

A spokesman for Attorney-General, Nicola Roxon said in a statement, "The NBN is the largest nation-building project in Australian history, and it will become the backbone of Australia's information infrastructure. As such, and as a strategic and significant government investment, we have a responsibility to do our utmost to protect its integrity and that of the information carried on it."