Govt preparing to ban Chinese telecom gear: What the latest directive could mean for India's 5G ambitions

The latest directive is unlikely to be welcomed by India's telcos which have previously called on the government to remove all vendor-based restrictions around the nation's 5G trials.On Wednesday, the Cabinet approved the National Security Directive on Telecommunication Sector which could result in restrictions on the procurement of Chinese telecom infrastructure by India's telcos. Under the directive, the government will designate “trusted sources” and “trusted products” to be integrated into the nation's telecom network architecture. The move is the latest in a series aimed to curb India's reliance on Chinese gear. India has already implemented bans on the importation of Chinese equipment across a range of sectors citing national security concerns.