India Authorizes 5G Trials, Excluding Chinese Firms

The Indian Department of Telecommunications announced on Tuesday the granting of approvals to numerous telecommunications providers for a six-month trial period dedicated to the implementation and testing of 5G technology within the nation.

New Delhi’s decision encompasses approvals for more than a dozen companies representing diverse international origins, with a notable exclusion of firms based in China.

Approved Telecom Operators and Partners

Among the operators authorized to proceed with trials are prominent names such as Jio Platforms, Airtel, Vodafone Idea, and MTNL.

These companies will collaborate with leading original equipment manufacturers and technology providers, including Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung, and C-Dot.

Jio Platforms has also received specific permission to evaluate and test its independently developed 5G technology.

China's Exclusion from the Trials

While the Department of Telecommunications refrained from directly addressing the situation regarding China in its official press release, sources confirm that Chinese technology giants Huawei and ZTE were not included in the list of approved participants.

Previous Statements and Geopolitical Context

Last year, Airtel’s founder, Sunil Mittal, publicly acknowledged the high quality of Huawei’s products, stating their 3G and 4G offerings were demonstrably superior to those of Ericsson and Nokia.

However, during the same discussion, Wilbur Ross, then U.S. commerce secretary, urged India and other U.S. allies to reconsider collaboration with Huawei.

Increased geopolitical tensions between India and China, stemming from border disputes last year, have contributed to a more cautious approach towards Chinese investment and technology.

India has amended investment regulations to restrict Chinese firms and has banned over 200 applications, including TikTok, UC Browser, and PUBG Mobile, citing cybersecurity concerns.

Global Alignment on 5G Security

India’s decision aligns with similar actions taken by the U.S., U.K., and Australia, all of which have voiced concerns regarding Huawei and ZTE and their potential connections to the Chinese government.

The Indian government has emphasized that telecom service providers were given the autonomy to select their preferred technology partners.

Spectrum Allocation for 5G Trials

The experimental spectrum allocated for these trials covers a range of frequencies, including:

• Midband (3.2 GHz to 3.67 GHz)
• Millimeter wave band (24.25 GHz to 28.5 GHz)
• Sub-gigahertz band (700 GHz)

Furthermore, technology service providers are authorized to utilize their existing spectrum holdings (800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2500 MHz) for the purpose of conducting 5G trials.

Trial Objectives and Scope

The ministry stipulated that trials must be conducted in both rural and semi-urban areas, in addition to urban centers, to ensure widespread access to 5G technology throughout the country.

Telecom service providers are also encouraged to test 5Gi technology alongside established 5G standards.

The primary goals of these trials are to assess 5G spectrum propagation characteristics within the Indian environment, refine and evaluate equipment and vendor performance, test domestically developed technologies, and explore potential applications such as tele-medicine, tele-education, augmented/virtual reality, and drone-based agricultural monitoring.

Testing of 5G compatible mobile phones and devices is also a key objective.