In a new relief to the Chinese telecom gear manufacturers, the companies Huawei and ZTE have finally got login access to the telecom products portal. For the unaware, the telecom products portal is a government website wherein the telecom companies in India can seek products from various vendors. The telcos first have to show interest in a product and seek details for it, bid, and then make their purchase. It is worth noting that, telecom industry being a security-sensitive area, the government monitors the selling of telecom equipment in India through this process. However, in the last few years, with the rising tension regarding Chinese telecom gear, the Indian government had put stringent measures in place for these companies.
Huawei and ZTE Now Get Access to Telecom Products Website
Now Huawei and ZTE will be able to log in and list their products alongside other companies like Nokia and Ericsson. Previously, the telecom companies themselves had the option of inputting the details of these products, but no one company was ready to do the same. Under this condition, the government has finally given login access to ZTE and Huawei.
But, as per an FE report, this is in no way an indication that the government hopes on going easy on these telecom gear manufacturers. On the contrary, as per the Security Directive, after the telecom companies show interest in any product, it is to be scrutinised for security lapses first, and only after the product is cleared by the department will the telecom company be able to make the purchase. The government had launched this portal back in June for procurement of telecom gear by the companies.
Govt Not Going Soft on Telecom Gear Manufacturers from China
Not only this, but the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) has put in place multiple parameters to ensure that the equipment that the telecom companies buy is “secure”. Firstly, the vendor will have to provide the supply chain details to enlist where the telecom equipment is actually coming from. After this, the vendor will also have to give in writing that the equipment is free from any malware or backdoor software that might be detrimental to the security.
