As Indian service providers become more nervous about using Chinese products, the telecommunications equipment of India will have to be tested under strict new regulations.

From October 1, any transmission terminal equipment must be tested by the Telecom Engineering Center of the Research and Development Department of the Ministry of Telecommunications (DoT). Any multiplexing equipment, passive optical network (PON) broadband system and feedback equipment need to be tested before deployment. These tests may delay the expansion of 4G networks and may even delay the launch of 5G infrastructure. During the coronavirus pandemic, the Indian economy is increasingly dependent on communication networks, which may hit the Indian economy.

Telecom equipment is usually tested by global laboratories, and kit manufacturers provide self-certification before deployment. India introduced its own testing mechanism in 2010, out of security concerns about the import of telecommunications, especially telecommunications imported from China, although subsequent regulations have been relaxed. A project to build an internal testing laboratory has been delayed several times in the past, but recent tensions on the Sino-Indian border have made this issue a top priority in decision-making.

Recently, the Indian government banned state-owned telecommunications companies BSNL and MTNL from using equipment produced by two Chinese suppliers, Huawei and ZTE. It is said that this move is in line with Indian policy, that is, “Atmanirbhar” which means self-reliance. At the same time, India has begun to inspect goods from China and Hong Kong, including smartphones and other equipment. In the last financial year, India imported $70.3 billion worth of goods from China.

It seems that the US Department of Transportation is also developing rules that require suppliers to provide source code for each device deployed. This measure is seen as part of the government’s renewed focus on cybersecurity. Suppliers are uneasy about the rule because the source code is business-sensitive. According to reports, Sweden Ericsson has written to the relevant departments, expressing concern about the move. It is unclear whether the rule applies to all suppliers or only to suppliers in India.

Huawei opened a network security laboratory in Belgium last year to enable customers to view the source code of network equipment. This Chinese supplier has been working hard to solve the safety problems in the use of the equipment.