Huawei, ZTE Deny Indian 5G Network Ban

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(Yicai Global) Sept. 17 — Chinese telecom device makers ZTE and Huawei Technologies have separately denied India’s government has banned Chinese telecoms from participating in the country’s 5G network construction.

India’s Department of Telecommunications barred ZTE and Huawei, both headquartered in Shenzhen, from involvement in its 5G network trials and cooperation from security fears, the country’s The Economic Times newspaper reported Sept. 14. India thus may become the third country after the US and Australia to limit the involvement of Chinese companies in producing 5G telecom equipment in the country.

This official cold-shoulder may greatly hinder Huawei’s business in India and cause its turnover there to plummet to between USD700 million and USD800 million from USD1.2 billion last year, per the report.

Huawei is actively listening to the Indian government’s 5G network construction needs, and is in regular cooperation with authorities and operators, the telecom giant said in an official statement issued over the weekend in response, adding that New Delhi welcomes Huawei with an open mind and supports the firm, which is also conducting 5G trials with operators, it said. The firm claimed 12 percent of India’s smartphone market in the second quarter, Counterpoint Technology Market Research reported.

ZTE has received no notice of a ban, it told Yicai Global.

Huawei, ZTE, Nokia, Ericsson and other international companies participated in the equipment bidding when India built its 4G network in 2015, and the two Chinese companies secured project contracts in different provinces, public information shows.

Editor: Ben Armour