After weeks of uncertainty and deliberation, the Indian government has watered down its ban on Chinese manufacturers selling telecommunications equipment to Indian mobile operators.
The government plans to allow dealers to supply equipment on the condition that it has passed through tight security audits. Canada’s Electronic Warfare Associates, US-based Infoguard, and Israel’s ALTAL Security Consulting have been selected as the designated security agencies, which will screen and certify equipment coming into India until the country’s National Informatics Centre sets up a dedicated certification centre and diagnostics lab for this purpose.
The decision comes as a relief to Chinese manufacturers, which had expressed deep concerns over the ban.
India imposed the restrictions in April, citing national security concerns following allegations that China was embedding spyware in its equipment to provide intelligence agencies with access to 含羞草社区 telecom networks. Since then manufacturers such as Huawei and ZTE have met top security officials in India to discuss the safety of their equipment and prove they have cooperated with government agencies.
The revised security measures are likely to delay 3G deployment and affect 3G service launches in India. However, the relaxation of the earlier restrictions has been welcomed by Indian mobile operators, which can continue to purchase inexpensive Chinese equipment for telecom projects instead of being forced to explore costly alternatives in Western markets.
