Huawei gets participation nod for 5G trials in India

After being under suspicion for months, Chinese hardware manufacturer Huawei has finally got a nod for participation in trials of the next-generation 5G networks in India.

"The age of 5G is coming. We are working together for all this. We have taken a decision to 5G spectrum for trials to all the players," said Electronics & Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad while launching the Central Equipment Identity Register to facilitate blocking and tracing of stolen or lost mobile phones in Delhi.

"5G is future, it is speed. We will encourage new innovation in it," he added.

According to a govt official quoted by a CNBCTV18 report, an airwaves auction for 5G services is expected to be held in January. Though Prasad did not confirm the timeline.

In October, the government has allowed Huawei to participate in 5G use case demos organised by the Indian Mobile Congress (IMC). The Chinese tech firm showcased leading and latest solutions at the event.

Huawei India CEO Jay Chen had expressed a desire to enter into an agreement with the Indian government for the launch of 5G networks.

Earlier, the Chinese tech firm was alleged to have used embedded snooping software in the source code of its servers to get access to the data from other countries. It also faced trade restriction in the US, which also had an impact on India's approval.

Though, Huwaei refuted such reports terming them baseless. The company has been for the past couple of months been trying to get clearance on 5G rollout.

In October, Huwaei had threatened not to make further investment in its operation in India if it was denied approval for a trial of 5G networks.

Chinese govt officials had also reportedly warned of reverse sanctions against India firms in China.