China Mobile’s Subsidiary in Canada to Cease Operations on January 5, 2022
China Mobile has released a statement to its official website, stating: “In compliance with the request of the Canadian Federal Government, CMLink of China Mobile Canada, will cease operations on January 5, 2022.”
The Canadian subsidiary said it will not accept any new membership applications starting from December 28 (Canadian Eastern Time), and SIM cards that haven’t been activated before January 5 will be void.
CMLink pledged to help its users to transfer to other operators while retaining their current phone number before March 31. The company also announced arrangements in terms of refunds for its users.
CMLink was founded in 2015. Customers can use both Chinese and Canadian mobile phone numbers through the platform, making it very popular among Chinese Canadians, especially those who frequently travel between the two countries.
The Canadian Federal Government issued an order in August directing China Mobile to divest or liquidate its Canadian business within 90 days, citing national security concerns. CMLink applied to the courts in September to have the order temporarily shelved, arguing that the Canadian government has no grounds to believe the company would compromise Canada’s national security or engage in espionage. However, the application was rejected early this month.
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After China Mobile’s business in Canada is terminated, some people may turn to China Telecom’s CTExcel business in Canada, but they are also worried that it will be attacked by the Canadian government. China Telecom’s subsidiary in U.S. had announced that CTExcel had its license revoked by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and would stop operating from January 3 next year.
