Bharti Airtel likely to submit fresh applications with European vendors for 5G trials

For 5G trials, Bharti Airtel is reportedly planning to submit fresh applications with European vendors including Finland’s Nokia and Sweden’s Ericsson for circles where it earlier filed by partnering with Chinese vendors, ETTelecom reported.

Sources revealed Bharti Airtel would now apply for Bengaluru and Kolkata with the European giants, instead of Chinese vendors ZTE and Huawei.

The development will facilitate the telecommunications department to wriggle out of a problematic situation and provide trial 5G spectrum to telecom service providers without having to decide on Chinese gear makers.

During 5G trials, it is worth noting that telecom gear vendors that would participate have to bear the full equipment cost.

It should be mentioned here that Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Jio has already filed separate applications, with Samsung and without. However, Vodafone Idea is awaiting the apex court verdict on the AGR (Adjusted gross revenue) dues before taking a final decision.

Government officials are in a fix in the absence of the government’s formal stance on whether to permit Chinese companies for 5G trials and thus have been unable to make any progress on the allocation of spectrum.

Amid ongoing tensions between New Delhi and Beijing, Chinese investments have come under the close scrutiny of the government. So far, the Indian government has barred the Chinese equipment makers from supplying equipment to state-run BSNL and MTNL.