Govt. Receives Six Proposals For 5G Trials, US-Blacklisted Huawei In List Too

The government has received six proposals for 5G trials, including from Chinese Huawei and ZTE. However, the participation of the two Chinese companies would depend on the recommendation of a panel looking into 5G security issues, telecom minster Ravi Shankar Prasad told Parliament on Wednesday.

Prasad said the 5G field trials would be undertaken through a licensed telecommunication company through restrictive and limited geographical area for specific use.

A committee headed by the principal scientific advisor (PSA) has been formed to make recommendations on security relating to 5G technology and its trial. The United States has been asking India and other countries to bar Huawei from their 5G ventures citing Chinese surveillance. In May, the USA barred the Huawei products from its market and asked the US companies not supply it with software and components.

Currently, there are no details on revenue estimates, business plan or auction of the 5G spectrum. The government plans to conduct next airwaves sales in 2019. The government has decided to allocate 5G trial spectrum for a year at a one-time fee of Rs 5,000 per location.

The Cellular Operators Association of India, which represents the telecommunication industries in India, has observed that the base price of 5G spectrum is 30-40% higher than that in South Korea and the US.―News18