Even though India’s 5G plans are moving at a snail’s pace, the country aims to be ready with the next generation network by the end of 2011 or early 2022. For this to happen, telecom companies in India need to deploy the infrastructure. And the list of “trusted” telecom equipment makers is still under government's review.
The Department of Telecommunications (DOT) and is expected to be reveal details on its portal, though indications are that this might yet take about two months or more. This list would be a ready reckoner for Indian telecom companies when they plan to procure the necessary equipment required for 5G-enablement.
Reports suggest that the delays being faced in the process of creating this list ahead of the 5G rollout is associated with the federal government's desire to ensure that all suppliers have zero threat perception from a national security point of view.
However, as per reports, Chinese companies like Huawei and ZTE could still be on the list of “trusted” suppliers, which would automatically allow them to participate in the 5G deployment. This, however, would only be possible if these companies fit the eligibility criteria being prepared by India’s national cybersecurity coordinator (NCSC) Lt. Gen. Rajesh Pant.
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Apart from Huawei and ZTE, Nokia Corp, Ericsson, Samsung, Intel and Qualcomm are also vying for a space on the list. Even though the Indian government had not voiced out its policies till now, collaborating with the Chinese equipment providers for supplies had been under a scanner.
The telecom companies had been urging the government to clear the confusion around the Chinese companies especially after quite a few Chinese mobile apps were banned in the country and a lot of contracts given to Chinese companies were withdrawn.
Now that the tension on the border has eased, both Huawei and ZTE could stand a chance of making it to this list. The fact is that various telecom companies already have contracts with them to supply networking gear. Recently, Airtel awarded Huawei an additional contract for supplies to strengthen its current network.
That being said, the government may impose certain restrictions on the participating companies including local manufacturing. Also, in case the telecom companies intend to source equipment from the companies not listed in the supplier list and will have to go through additional scrutiny.
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