Airtel to solve DoT’s Chinese gear vendor dilemma for 5G field trials: Here’s how

NEW DELHI: Bharti Airtel is preparing to submit fresh applications for 5G trials with European vendors Nokia and Ericsson for circles or cities where it previously filed to partner with Chinese vendors Huawei and ZTE. People familiar with the matter said that Airtel is now applying for Kolkata and Bengaluru with Finland’s Nokia and Sweden’s Ericsson, instead of ZTE and Huawei, respectively.

The development will allow the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to wriggle out of a tricky situation and release trial 5G spectrum to telecom operators without having to decide on Chinese vendors. Reliance Jio has already filed separate applications, with Samsung and without, while Vodafone Idea is awaiting the Supreme Court verdict on the adjusted gross revenue dues (AGR), which will determine its existential future, before taking a final call.