Several weeks after Nigeria lead other countries in West Africa to test the operation of the 5G technology, the Indian government has joined the queue as it has given the green light for all network equipment suppliers, including Huawei, to participate in upcoming 5G trials, signaling the Chinese vendor could take part in deploying the next-generation technology in the country.
The Economic Times reported that telecoms minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said 5G trials will be done with all operators and all vendors are invited.
In a statement, Huawei acknowledged: “We thank the Indian government for its continued faith in Huawei. We firmly believe that only technology innovations and high-quality networks will be the key to rejuvenating the Indian telecoms industry.”
After continued US pressure on India to ban the Chinese vendor’s kit, Huawei in October offered to adhere to strict security standards in a bid to persuade Indian authorities it does not pose a threat to 5G networks, with a specific pledge not to install backdoors in equipment sold to operators in the country.
The Indian government in June set up a committee to review Huawei’s network security and previously expressed reluctance to allow the vendor to deploy its 5G gear, which it fears could contain back doors which could allow the Chinese government to spy on users.
The country plans to hold 5G spectrum auctions by the end of Q1.
