DOT writes to PMO & MHA, confirms prohibition of all Chinese equipment for BSNL/MTNL

Department of Telecommunication (DoT) on Tuesday submitted a report to Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) confirming that y have barred BSNL and MTNL from buying equipment from Chinese companies. This comes shortly after sources revealed that telecom department has decided to keep Chinese companies out of state-owned BSNL's 4G network up-gradation tender. 

Following this, DoT confirmed that it has prohibited BSNL from buying equipment from China. It also stated that it favours barring China telecom gear makers like ZTE and Huawei from participating in 5G trials. Domestic players, however, have been given freedom to decide wher y want to furr buy Chinese gearmakers or t. 

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Earlier sources revealed that Centre is actively considering steps to encour private telecom companies to speedily reduce ir dependence on 'made in China' equipment in backdrop of tensions between India and China post violent Galwan valley faceoff. 

Chinese companies like Huawei have made advancement into next-generation telecommunication techlogy like 5G and Artificial Intelligence and have expanded ir operations to sell telecom gear to foreign vendors. However, such companies have come under scanner of security ncies and governments like US who reveal that ir access into or countries allows Beijing to get backdoor access into networks and poses risk to data privacy and national security.

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