Airtel, Voda Idea may file additional applications for 5G trials without Chinese vendors

Telecom operators Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea are likely to file additional applications seeking spectrum for 5G trials in which they will not include Chinese vendors Huawei and ZTE, according to sources.

The development comes following government displeasure on including Chinese companies in any project that can have security implications amid the border standoff between the two nations.

“Bharti Airtel has said that it will file an additional application for 5G trials which will not have the names of Chinese vendors Huawei and ZTE as its partners. Vodafone Idea is also expected to do the same,” an official privy to the development told PTI.

Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, Huawei and ZTE did not respond to e-mail queries sent in this regard.

The source said the companies will file applications as a backup to the existing ones and this can induce the government to allocate spectrum for 5G trials.

Bharti Airtel had named Huawei as its partner for 5G trials in Bengaluru and ZTE in Kolkata.

Applications of both Airtel and Vodafone Idea had named Nokia and Ericsson as partners too.

The government has not allocated spectrum for 5G trials yet. TOI