
According to the newspaper, Huawei was able to eavesdrop on mobile numbers from the telecom provider at that time. This also included the phones of the then Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, various ministers, and Chinese dissidents. Huawei also knew which numbers were tapped by police and intelligence services.
The conclusions turned out to be so alarming that the internal report was kept secret. “The continued existence of KPN Mobile is in serious danger because permits may be revoked or the government and businesses may give up their confidence in KPN if it becomes known that the Chinese government can eavesdrop on KPN mobile numbers and shut down the network”, de Volkskrant quotes the report. At the time, KPN’s mobile network had 6.5 million subscribers.
The purpose of this link is not to discuss the “core networks” – however, as the 5G eventually dawns on us, the implications for telemedicine are going to be profound. Policy makers will have to be cognisant of these issues, especially when the networks will serve as a pipeline for healthcare data. These effects will be magnified.
I had reached out to a potential PhD supervisor and highlighted these aspects to be tied in for a larger issue related to telemedicine and how it can thwart the growth. I am still waiting to hear from her. Nevertheless, I have clear ideas on potential implications, and this has a downstream effect on the data availability or more onerous regulations that may hinder a seamless sharing of raw data.
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