The Big 5G Question Before India

In India, 5G has the potential to bring major societal transformation and support the government’s flagship schemes in infrastructure, development and e-governance. Key ministries and departments in the government have worked on policy documents, reports and papers to help build a concrete roadmap to deploy 5G in India. A final decision on allowing Huawei to build India’s 5G networks remains an open one. The opinion of India’s largest mobile operators can significantly influence the government’s decision on any future 5G policy. A recurring concern for all nations – including India – has been operational risks and vulnerabilities related to security. A proposed way to offset security concerns is to boost indigenous development of the 5G technology – an important step given that India imports 90 percent of its telecom equipment. There can be only two scenarios for New Delhi: one, where it allows Huawei to supply India’s 5G network, or another, where it bans Huawei and other Chinese vendors.