The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has barred overseas telecom equipment vendors such as Ericsson, Nokia Siemens Networks, Alcatel, Huawei and ZTE, from supplying equipment for the National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) project, according to news reports.
Moreover, DoT has reportedly said that only domestic equipment is to be used for the same and has drawn up a list of certified vendors for the project. This reportedly includes Himachal Futuristic Communications (HFCL), ITI, Tejas Networks, Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT), VMC Systems, Prithvi Infosystems, Sai Systems, United Telecoms and SM Creative. Prior to this, C-DoT had requested DoT to restrict the participation of Chinese vendors, Huawei and ZTE, in sensitive government projects on security grounds. To support its claim, C-DoT had cited a U.S. Congressional report that had claimed both companies were a threat to national security, owing to their alleged links with the Chinese military.
