In a significant advance, the Cabinet Security Committee approved on Wednesday (December 16) the proposal to establish a new National Security Directive in the telecommunications sector that will help classify telecommunications products and their sources under the terms’ trusted ‘and’ untrusted ‘. ‘categories.
The Center’s decision is expected to make it difficult for Huawei, ZTE and other Chinese companies to supply equipment to Indian telecom players. Both Huwaei and ZTE face scrutiny in several countries, including the United States, for allegedly installing ‘backdoor’ or ‘cheating’ vulnerabilities and spying for the Chinese government. Several countries have already banned the use of equipment made by Huawei and ZTE.
“The methodology for designating trusted products will be devised by the designated authority, which is the National Cyber Security Coordinator. Telecommunications service providers must connect new devices designated as trusted products. The designated authority will make its decision based on the approval of a committee headed by the deputy of the NSA (National Security Adviser) ”, said the Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad.
Prasad added that the NSA deputy will head the National Telecommunications Security Committee, which will also have members from other departments and ministries. According to the minister, the enew committee will also include independent experts and two members from the telecommunications industry.
“The Cabinet Security Committee approves the National Security Directive in the Telecommunications Sector. Accordingly, to maintain the integrity of the supply chain security, the government will declare a list of trusted sources / products for the benefit of the telecommunications service providers, “Prasad said.
The Center will also provide a list of sources to telecommunications service providers from whom no product can be purchased. The new directive will take effect 180 days after its approval.
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On Wednesday, the Union Cabinet also approved the next spectrum auction round in March. The telecommunications department (DoT) plans to sell 2,251 megahertz (MHz) of spectrum. It will sell spectrum in the bands of 700MHz, 800MHz, 900MHz, 1,800MHz, 2,100MHz, 2,300MHz, 2,500MHz.
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