08 April 2022

Nokia has is in talks to replace Huawei 4G radio equipment from parts of Vodafone Idea’s telecom network in India, in one of the largest swap deals on record.

According to newswire Reuters, the deal will see Nokia deploying 12,000 5G-ready radio sites and 4,000 small cells in Vodafone Idea’s network in India’s capital Delhi.

Telecom operators in India have been reducing their dependence on Chinese firm Huawei after numerous security concerns. Vodafone Idea’s move is a blow to Huawei’s prospects in the country, telecom experts said, adding more operators may choose to replace the company as supplier.

Huawei said the company doesn’t comment on specific projects. Nokia declined to comment, while Vodafone Idea did not respond to requests for comment.

Several countries, including the US, Britain and Sweden have blocked operators from using equipment made by Huawei over security concerns. Huawei has denied the claims.

In a swap deal, an operator changes an existing vendor and Nokia had earlier replaced Huawei gear in operators including BT, Orange Belgium, Proximus in Britain, Belgium and Luxembourg respectively.

Nokia’s gear will allow Vodafone Idea to manage 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G networks from the same platform and deployment could start from next month, according to the sources.