BSNL to revisit 5G trial partners amid India-China standoff

MUMBAI : Amid growing tension with China, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) will revisit its 5G trial strategy and look at the applications submitted by vendors supplying such technology, the company Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) Pravin Kumar Purwar said on Monday.

In September 2017, the state-owned telecom operator had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China-based telecom equipment manufacturer, ZTE, to work on 5G wireless technology for research and knowledge-sharing purposes.

Tensions between India and China escalated in June, when 20 soldiers of the Indian Army were killed in a clash with Chinese forces along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh. Since then, the government has taken several steps to bar trade with the neighbour, including the ban on more than 200 Chinese applications.