Huawei, the electronics giant, is well known for its consumer products like smartphones and other home appliances. However, the company is also a renowned telecommunications equipment provider, especially for the 5G network. Now, the Chinese company is partnering with local network providers like Airtel and even Vodafone to start 5G trials in India.
According to a new report, Huawei will team up with Bharti Airtel for the first 5G trials in Bangalore, alongside testing in Delhi with Vodafone. The telecom firms have already submitted the applications, as per an anonymous source. On 31st December 2019, the Indian Government had initiated the process of rolling out 5G network in India and had met various operators and vendors for the same. As per the road map, the early trials will take place during January and March of 2020.
Furthermore, the last date to submit an application for the trials was yesterday, 15th January 2020. These applications will be taken into consideration by the Government, which will distribute trial regions to the licensed telecom service providers. The reporting agency had also tried reaching Huawei for a statement but the company has yet to respond.
Currently, Huawei is facing scrutiny in various western regions like the US and other European countries. It has faced multiple allegations from foreign Governments regarding a possible link to China and the security of the data it handles through its telecommunications equipment and smartphones. The US is at the forefront of such accusations and believes the company has the capabilities of spying on other countries for the Chinese Government.
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Huawei has frequently denied such claims but it still faces obstacles even in Australia, Japan, Canada, and New Zealand. On the other hand, nations like, Russia, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia are accepting of Huawei. 5G is the next major step in networking advancements and is also being seen as a hallmark of a developed nation. Thus, countries like China and South Korea which are leading in this regard are seeing an increase in 5G smartphones in their home markets.
In India, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has already approved the prices for the spectrum auction, which is scheduled to be held by April 2020. Out of the 8,300MHz of airwaves, 6,050MHz has been allocated to 5G network with a cost of INR 492 crore (roughly $69 million) per megahertz. The Government is also pushing for telecom firms to conduct experimental spectrum trials by providing incentives and lesses fees per trial.
As of right now, Huawei has secured more than 50 commercial contracts for 5G networking in various countries. In comparison, India is behind on the adoption curve of the newer and faster bandwidth. However, the local Government is placing an increased emphasis on network advancement alongside education, agriculture, waste management, and healthcare.
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