India has joined the growing list of countries shutting the door on Chinese technology vendors Huawei and ZTE, excluding the companies from upcoming 5G trials over security concerns, according to a local report.
"We have written to Cisco, Samsung, Ericsson, and Nokia, and telecom service providers to partner with us to start 5G technology-based trials, and have got positive response from them," telecom secretary Aruna Sundararajan reportedly told The Economic Times.
"We have excluded Huawei from these trials,” he added.
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Responded Huawei in a statement: “We are in regular touch with [India’s Department of Telecommunications] and concerned government officials. The Indian government has always supported Huawei and has been appreciative of our path-breaking technologies and solutions.”
India is only the latest country to shut out the two Chinese tech companies, which are accused of gathering information for the Chinese government.
In the U.S., the Trump Administration is working with Congress to pass legislation that would ban the Chinese electronics makers.
And last month, the Australian government issued a restriction on Huawei and ZTE participating in the Down Under 5G rollout.
"The Australian government's decision to block Huawei from Australia's 5G market is politically motivated, not the result of a fact-based, transparent, or equitable decision-making process,” Huawei said. “It is not aligned with the long-term interests of the Australian people, and denies Australian businesses and consumers the right to choose from the best communications technology available.”
"Interpreting Chinese law should be left to qualified and impartial legal experts,” the Chinese company added. “Huawei has presented the Australian government with an independent, third-party expert analysis of the Chinese laws in question: Chinese law does not grant government the authority to compel telecommunications firms to install backdoors or listening devices, or engage in any behavior that might compromise the telecommunications equipment of other nations.”
