Bharti Airtel - ZTE Corp 4G partnership raises security concerns in India

BANGALORE, INDIA: Security agencies in the country have expressed concern over Chinese telecom networking equipment maker ZTE managing Bharti Airtel's 4G network.

Minister of State for Communications and IT Milind Deora said that the government has received a reference from the security agency expressing that Bharti Airtel is using Time Division-Long Term Evolution (TD-LTE) technology, which has been developed by ZTE, a Chinese company for its 4G services. 

"Therefore, role of ZTE in managing the 4G network and adequacy of training to local personnel of Bharti Airtel may be ascertained. The Security agency has not given any suggestion. However, it has inquired about the training given by ZTE to the local personnel to handle the 4G network."

The information with regard to number of towns/cities in the country where 4G network is managed by ZTE company, is being collected from the Telecom Service Providers.

The government has mandated that telecom service providers who have won 4G licenses should induct tested network elements into their telecom network.

The minister also added that the testing will be conducted as per the relevant contemporary Indian or International Security Standards from any international agency/ labs of those standards until March 31, 2013. 

"From 1st April, 2013 the certification shall be got done only from authorized and certified agencies/ labs in India," he added.

Moreover, as per licence condition, the licensee shall employ only resident, trained Indian nationals as chief technical officer/s, chief information security officer, nodal executives for handling interception and monitoring cases and in-charge of GMSC, MSC, Softswitch, Central Database and System Administrator/s.