India not led astray by US 5G ploy

India doesn't need unsolicited external advice on what it should do to serve its best interests. The country can rely on its own reason and judgment－rather than the unsubstantiated claims of others－when making decisions concerning what is and isn't a national security threat.

Which explains why New Delhi announced earlier this week that it would allow Chinese telecommunications equipment giant Huawei to take part in trials for the rollout of services for the next generation mobile networks in the huge Indian market despite the tar-and-feathering of the company by the United States.

"5G trials will be done with all vendors and operators," India's electronics and information minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Monday.

For India, Washington's claim that Huawei poses a serious national security threat is just too far-fetched, given the lack of any supportive evidence. And to ease New Delhi's espionage fear, Huawei has agreed to sign a "no backdoor policy" agreement with the Indian government, which allows the latter to ban the company from operating in the country if it is involved in any security breach.

India has been a long-time user of Huawei's equipment－in cell sites and other network infrastructure－and it certainly knows Huawei products provide value for money. According to Sunil Bharti Mittal, chairman of Bharti Airtel－one of the largest telecom operators in India that is involved in 5G trials－Huawei's 3G and 4G equipment have been superior to that of other vendors. In his words－"They are clearly leading edge."

And Huawei's excellent track record means there is certainly no need for India to shun its 5G equipment. Not to mention that excluding a major competitor in a nascent market tends to lead only to inferior technology and services being offered at much higher prices.

India has always been late in embracing the latest technology. After missing the 3G and 4G bus, the country cannot afford to miss the 5G bus as well by jumping on Washington's anti-Huawei bandwagon.

Huawei is the only company in the world that makes 5G handsets, 5G base stations, 5G optical fiber, and 5G core network hardware and software, and by giving it a fair trial, India will remain within catching range of countries such as the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea that have already started 5G trials and even commercial roll-out.

Time will prove that India has made a wise decision by paying no heed to Washington's scare stories and choosing to judge the facts for itself.