According to industry insiders, Ericsson and Cisco, are among the vendors who have been approved as ‘trusted sources’ by the National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC). It was revealed that as many as seven to eight companies have been approved as ‘trusted sources’ by the NCSC.
In addition to Ericsson and Cisco, Nokia, Tejas, PC Solutions, and Dori Software are among those who have got the nod.
The Cabinet approved a proposal in December of last year to secure telecom infrastructure by designating a ‘trusted source’ for the purchase of equipment by service providers.
According to one of the sources, Huawei, a Chinese vendor, is in the midst of submitting the requisite documentation. According to another source, ZTE has yet to hear from the government on the matter.
Ericsson, Cisco, Tejas, and Nokia did not respond to e-mails sent to them.
According to a source from a telecom company, a few products have got validation, with the hope that further items will be approved in the near future.
With national security in mind, National Security Directive on Telecommunication Sector (NSDTS) was framed. The government will declare a list of trusted sources and trusted products for installation in the country’s telecom network under the provisions of NSDTS.