Huawei has been facing increasing scrutiny in several markets for its alleged links to the Chinese government, which, some countries fear, use the company’s devices for cyber-spying.
A Paulraj, head of government’s high-level 5G panel has said to Economic Times that the telecom network technology from European gear makers may be as unsafe, or safe, as their Chinese rivals, including Huawei, and that only locally produced technology can ensure complete infrastructure safety.
Paulraj’s comments confirmed that he is working with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to prepare a roadmap for India’s venture into 5G technology in tandem with mature markets worldwide.
The Indian government has recently said there was no proposal to ban telecom equipment manufactured by Huawei, which has been allowed to participate in 5G trials being planned with mobile phone companies.
Huawei has been facing increasing scrutiny in several markets for its alleged links to the Chinese government, which, some countries fear, use the company’s devices for cyber-spying. Some countries such as the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have already barred the company’s equipment being used for their 5G networks, while others such as Poland and the UK are evaluating restrictions as well.
Competition with Nokia and Ericsson
Huawei is competing with Finland’s Nokia and Sweden’s Ericsson, besides smaller Chinese rival ZTE, for 5G network deals in India. Ericsson and Nokia also manufacture parts in China but both say they have tight controls and security protocols in place.
Nokia and Ericsson confirmed that their equipment are totally secure. A company spokesperson said to the English Daily that Nokia regularly reviews the robustness of its products to ensure they meet their high security standards. Following which Ericsson also stated that its solutions met the requirements defined by customers and local authorities before being deployed in a network.
