Int'l Trade Bodies Oppose Mandatory 5Gi; say Global Standard Must for QUAD Collaboration

Several trade bodies from the UK and the US have opposed the mandatory 5Gi adoption; they said that this move can set vital work shared on supply chains back. The bodies also said that alternative RANs such as Open RAN also rely on global standards; forcing 5Gi can make Open RAN adoption impossible.

Tough Times for 5Gi

The bodies in question include the likes of Information Technology Industry Council, Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), UK India Business Council (UKIBC), US Chamber of Commerce, US-India Business Council (USIBC) and US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF).

In a joint letter to the telecom department, the trade bodies said, "as TEC considers incorporation of 5Gi as a national standard, we hope that it will also consider the importance of globally harmonized standards for 5G to the success of India’ ICT ecosystem. We also ask that, whatever standards are adopted, that the Department of Telecommunications avoid making the use of any one standard mandatory and allow telecommunications service providers to deploy technologies conforming to the standards of their choice".

What's more, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel recently told the DoT that 5Gi doesn't have a device ecosystem; the telcos also asked the DoT to make the standard optional for OEMs. The telcos added that making 5Gi mandatory will increase smartphone prices.

5G Becoming a Matter of Geopolitics

5G has been gaining momentum across the world, fast becoming the norm for networks. 3GPP has been releasing updated continuously; updates that will make country-specific standards obsolete. Therefore, the economic advantages of leveraging globally harmonized standards to India’s manufacturing ecosystem will look obvious.

"We appreciate the urgent need for connectivity in rural India, and we believe that the global 5G standards – developed by stakeholders from across the world with a range of both rural and urban use cases in mind – are the best answer to this challenge", bodies said. According to the trade bodies, using the economies of scale, India’s telcos can build networks for rural India affordably, and with fewer challenges related to system integration and management.

Furthermore, these forums have told the DoT that adopting global standards for 5G will ensure cooperation among QUAD nations. They also asked the department to do "appropriate technical due diligence" to confirm 5Gi's capabilities. The trade bodies said that India also has an incentive in this; by adopting global standards, India can further consolidate its position as a manufacturing hub for ICT products.

"We appreciate the commitment between leaders from India, the United States, Japan, and Australia to facilitate coordination on technology standards development and cooperate on telecommunications deployment in the context of the Quad Emerging Technology Working Group. Adopting global specifications for 5G technology is a foundational step toward demonstrating further cooperation on these issues".