Telecom operators have much larger responsibility to ensure network security: Ericsson

NEW DELHI: Swedish telecom gear maker Ericsson said that telecom operators have a much larger responsibility to safeguard their networks from cyber-attacks and they need to trust their vendors even more than before.

“I think absolutely an operator has a much larger responsibility…for example if they subcontract somebody to provide a backhaul line, they have to ensure that they are up to grips and do their part of it,” Magnus Ewebring, Chief Technology Officer (Asia-Pacific) for Sweden’s Ericsson told ET.

The remarks come in the backdrop of Indian telecom operators seeking clarity over the participation of Chinese gear maker Huawei in 5G field trials and permitting its equipment in their 5G networks. The Indian government has already conveyed that it will not compromise on the security of its telecom networks and accords high priority to data sovereignty.