Can begin 5G trial within a month of Indian government's nod: Huawei

Amid reports suggesting that Huawei may not get the government's approval for 5G trial in India, Huawei India CEO Jay Chen on Tuesday dismissed the reports as wild speculation and stressed that the Chinese tech giant can begin 5G trial within a month of approval from the government.

"We have made three-four rounds of presentation to the government and all of my engagements with the government have been positive so far. We are just waiting for the government's approval to commence the 5G trial," Chen said at a media workshop on 5G here.

"We are fully prepared. We can start the 5G trial within one month of getting approval from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT)," Chen told IANS on the sidelines of the workshop, adding that Huawei was in talks with all the major telecom operators in India including Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio and the state-run BSNL for 5G roll-out in the country.

Huawei is leading the 5G race globally with its massive investments in R&D but the Chinese giant is facing the heat from some Western countries, particularly the US which alleges that the Huawei 5G network could pose a national security threat.

Australia and the US has already blocked the use of Huawei technology for its 5G network. New Zealand, which earlier raised similar security concerns, on Tuesday said it may consider involving Huawei on its 5G network if the security concerns are adequately addressed.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week warned European countries that using technology from Huawei could hurt their relationship with Washington.

Dismissing the allegations as mere "politics", Chen stressed that no country has been able to give any evidence of wrongdoing on Huawei's part.

"It would not be logical to exclude Huawei from the 5G trial in India as it would mean losing the benefits of innovative technologies that we can bring to the 5G ecosystem in the country," Chen noted.

"I hope India will have its own judgment," he said, adding in a lighter vein that 5G without Huawei could be what India would be without cricket.

Saying that the roll out of 5G could unleash in the world such dynamic changes as the invention of electricity did, Chen called on the international community to evolve universal standards for security.

"Right now every country has its own security standards. It would help if we have universal standards for security and every technology company is subjected to the same standards of security," he added.

--IANS

gb/bg