Global telecom vendors such as Ericsson, Nokia, ZTE and Huawei are likely to oppose the telecom department’s diktat to run mandatory safety checks on imported network gear from October 1 via local labs, saying it will only result in duplication of certification activity, disrupting network gear availability in India and delaying 4G network rollouts by at least 6-to-9 months. They are set to write to the DoT that their equipment is anyways certified by accredited private global labs before deployment in India, and will press the government to defer the in-country screening deadline.

The submission of source code by original equipment makers may not address India's security needs since it comprises of commercially valuable, confidential and sensitive information, and follows a frequent software delivery mechanism on networks, said COAI to DoT in a letter dated 23^rd June 2020. 

The letter comes after India's move to seek source code for network equipment as a part of security assurance standards proposed by the department's National Centre for Communications Security (NCCS), based in Bengaluru.

The state-owned telecom equipment maker ITI Limited is setting up an electronic manufacturing cluster (EMC) under MEITY modified scheme in Bengaluru and has sought approval from the administrative ministry for a long-term lease. The state-run company has sought the DoT approval for a long-term lease following the willingness by nearly 50 manufacturers or original equipment makers worldwide. The government's modified scheme, for the first time has allowed public-run companies to set up manufacturing clusters under the scheme and avail prevalent benefits including financial assistance.

Phone companies have urged telecom secretary to speed up the formation of a key inter-ministerial panel to finalise India’s 5G spectrum deployment game plan that will be discussed at a key meeting of the International Telecom Union (ITU) next month.

The move comes after telcos recently urged the government to allot sub-3500 MHz 5G spectrum free of cost for 5G fixed wireless services to augment networks capacities at a time when existing 4G networks are facing severe capacity constraints amid surging home internet consumption during the Covid19 lockdowns.

The government may incentivize global telecom companies to manufacture all their equipment in India using 100% local content. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will meet vendors on June 3 to seek their inputs and discuss ways to boost manufacturing. The move will apply to handset manufacturers such as Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung, and Huawei, whose usage of local items in their products is only 40 percent. The government plans to raise the local content in their products to 100 percent, the report said.