Canadian operator Telus selected Samsung as a network infrastructure partner for its 5G rollout, adding to recent agreements with Ericsson and Nokia, with long-term partner Huawei conspicuously absent from its plans.

In a statement, Telus said it was deploying its first wave of 5G in Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton and parts of Toronto, with Samsung added as a partner for the build.

Telus aims to expand its 5G offering to 26 markets across Canada throughout the remainder of the year.

Ericsson and Nokia were handed 5G contracts earlier this month.

The move to now include Samsung into its 5G plans represents another blow to Huawei’s ambitions in Canada, where the government is conducting a security assessment on the Chinese vendor.

Telus CFO Doug French reportedly said in February Huawei would be part of its 5G plans, but its recent moves suggest differently.

Samsung stated said the deal expands its 5G pool further, as it secured four new 5G contracts in the last seven months with operators in Canada, the US and New Zealand.

“We are excited to have earned Telus’ trust to roll out next-generation 5G services together, leveraging our successful experiences in commercialising 5G across multiple leading markets,” said Paul Kyungwhoon Cheun, president and head of Networks Business at Samsung.