5G trials: Telcos seek removal of restrictions

New Delhi: Mobile phone companies have urged the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to remove equipment and vendor-based application restrictions in order to conduct smooth 5G lab trials, indicating that telcos want even Chinese vendors such as Huawei and ZTE to be a part of the deployments of the next gen technology in India.In a December 2 letter to DoT secretary Anshu Prakash, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) also wants import duty to be waived and restrictions related to country of origin removed for the trial equipment. Operators say that for proof of concepts (PoCs) and trial runs, vendors typically import gear instead of using locally made gear. ET has seen a copy of the letter.People familiar with the matter said that the latest letter is aimed mainly at pushing the government to clarify its official stance over the involvement of Chinese vendors like Huawei and ZTE in 5G trials and deployments, which has been long pending.While unofficially, government officials have called on state-run telcos BSNL and MTNL to bar Chinese vendors from fresh gear supply contracts, and have nudged even private telcos, officially, India still maintains that Chinese vendors are allowed to do business in the country. But telcos privately say they need clarity on the matter before taking decisions on long term equipment supply contracts – especially with 5G in mind - and even for planning their next auction strategy. They added that flexibility to conduct trials with no requirement of submitting documents to the DOT and WPC will allow telcos to work with new-age software and application providers for 5G trials, hence expanding the scope of use cases.In the letter, COAI Director General S P Kochhar has also sought flexibility to conduct lab trials for “Make in India” solutions with minimum to no requirement of submitting documents to the department and the Wireless Planning and Coordination for spectrum clearance.COAI, which represents carriers Reliance Jio, Airtel, Vi, BSNL and gear vendors like Nokia, Ericsson, Huawei and ZTE, also wanted clarity on the trial timelines. "...till date the approvals for progressing, instructions for conduct for these trials have not been made clear and there is no set date for commencement of these trials... It is recommended that the instructions for conduct of trials for 5G may be issued at the earliest,” Kochhar said in the letter.

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