Airtel cautions government on 5G’s ‘security concerns’

Mobile phone operator Bharti Airtel has cautioned that security concerns should be placated before adopting 5G in India, even if it means pushing the roll out of the new technology back by 12-18 months.
Telecom equipment making rivals Nokia and Huawei both countered, saying the security aspects shouldn’t be overplayed, and that India should not waste time before adopting 5G. But both differed on the broader issue around security, with the Finnish company saying security around 5G was also a geopolitical matter, and not just a matter of technology, with “trust” in the gear supplier of crucial importance. China’s Huawei – under pressure across the world due to alleged security concerns due to its perceived proximity to the Chinese government and fighting to gain trust of countries like India – though downplayed the issue, saying it was a “a technical issue, not a political one”.