Nokia has reportedly entered talks with Vodafone Idea in India to replace Huawei radio equipment in parts of the operator’s 4G network, in what would be a further major blow to the China-based equipment manufacturer.
The Finland-headquartered vendor is tipped to deploy 12,000 5G-ready radio sites and 4,000 small cells in Delhi, Reuters reported.
In 2021, Indian media reported Vodafone Idea had expanded a 4G network deal with Huawei, with the move coming shortly before India’s government issued a notice requiring operators to ensure equipment was procured from trusted sources.
Like other countries around the world, India has been stepping-up efforts to make it more difficult for Chinese vendors to participate in 5G deployments due to national security concerns.
Huawei and rival ZTE have already been omitted from a list of vendors the government approved to supply equipment for operators’ 5G trials.
