India’s government is weighing a plan to systematically replace Chinese telecom equipment in the country’s mobile networks over national security concerns. The Ministry of Home Affairs has asked the Department of Telecommunications to find out how much equipment from Huawei, ZTE and other Chinese vendors the largest operators are using. The department must also estimate the cost of removing and replacing it, Light Reading reports.
The review targets equipment deployed before India introduced its “trusted sources” policy in 2021. Under that policy, operators must buy new gear only from certified vendors, currently Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung. Huawei and ZTE never received certification, effectively locking them out of India’s 5G market. Equipment installed before the policy took effect was allowed to remain in networks.
Reliance Jio, India’s largest carrier, has never deployed Chinese equipment. Rivals Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) have, though. Industry estimates suggest Airtel and Vodafone Idea alone could face costs of up to $3 billion to replace the hardware and software.
Who would foot the bill remains unclear. The Ministry of Home Affairs will make the final call based on the telecom department’s assessment. Indian operators are already spending heavily on 5G rollout, fiber buildout and network modernization, and the added cost of ripping out Chinese gear could slow network expansion and push up service costs for subscribers.
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India would not be alone in restricting Chinese telecom equipment. The US, UK and Germany, among others, have imposed similar limits. The European Union’s own rip-and-replace effort illustrates the scale involved: GSMA Intelligence has estimated that removing Huawei and ZTE gear from EU networks could cost operators €30-40 billion.
