Mobile operators rework equipment sourcing pacts ahead of licensing norms

The government will soon declare a list of trusted sources and trusted products for installation in the country's telecom network

With the government coming up with new licensing norms soon, mandating companies to procure telecom gear from trusted sources, mobile operators have started reworking their equipment sourcing pacts.
 
Amendments to the telecom licensing norms are expected any time, mainly to incorporate guidelines of the national security directive (NSD) on the telecommunications sector. They may also seek to control installation of network equipment, mainly from China.
 
Experts said that telecom companies are investing in augmenting networks, including all the bandwidths — 2G, 3G and 4G. The operators are also de-risking themselves from Chinese equipment firms by not renewing existing