The Government is likely to amend the telecom licence norms this month to incorporate the guidelines of national security directive on telecommunication sector that will help in controlling installation of network equipment from China and other non-friendly countries.
Under the provisions of this directive, the government will declare a list of trusted sources and trusted products for installation in the country’s telecom network.
“DoT is almost ready to amend licence conditions to incorporate guidelines NSD (national security directive). It should be done in the coming week,” an official source said.
Notably, Chinese telecom gear maker Huawei has had its run-ins in the past with the governments of Canada and the US. The US has alleged that it did not comply with its cybersecurity and privacy laws, leaving the country and the citizens vulnerable to espionage.
The list of the trusted source and product for installation in telecom networks will be decided based on the approval of a committee headed by the deputy national security advisor.
The committee will consist of members from relevant departments, ministries and will also have two members from the industry and independent experts.