HUAWEI, the world’s leading ICT provider, has got a green signal from the Indian government to work with the world’s second-largest internet market to build its 5G network.
This is the first time that India, caught is a diplomatic and economic tussle between the US & China, has taken an official stance on the matter. It boosts the Chinese company’s hope to play a vital role in the deployment of the next generation technology in India.
The Indian government’s decision represents another win for Huawei, coming just days after Italy’s new minister of economic development, says the company should be allowed to participate in its 5G networks too.
“5G trails will be done with all vendors & operators” Telecom minister Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad has told recently.
“We have taken an in-principle decision to give 5G spectrum for trials”-He added.
On being specifically about Huawei, Mr. Prasad said that at this stage, all vendors are invited.
India is said to be the world’s second-biggest wireless market in terms of users. It’s set to hold an airwaves auction for 5G services in March 2020. The green light from India will serve as a welcome reprieve for Huawei as it battles a US-led campaign against its business.
The decision also has given the approval for Huawei to participate in a test run of its next-generation 5G network. Indian Tele communications companies have welcomed the government’s decision warmly.
The announcement is notable because India has long delayed making any decision on whether to allow Huawei to participate in its 5G trials. The country’s upcoming 5G trials might take place this month.
At present, Huawei is supporting to rollout 5G in many countries including France, Hungary, South Korea, Thailand, Switzerland, Russia, Malasia & Bangladesh. It has presence in 35 out of 51 commercial 5G networks across the world.
The U.S. government has been pushing allied nations to reject the company, citing its close ties with Beijing and the possibility that its equipment could contain “backdoors” that facilitate spying on communications. As a result, few countries, namely: Australia, Japan, New Zealand & Taiwan, besides the US are keeping Huawei out of 5G deployments.
On the other hand, Huawei is working with internationally reputed many Tele Communications companies such as Telenor. Recently, Telenor has declared that they will use equipment from Huawei in building Norway’s 5G network.
The two companies have been collaborating for more than a decade on 4G. Now they will continue their partnership to modernize infrastructure, Hanne Knudsen, Telenor vice president for communications, told Reuters.