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<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>NEW DELHI: In a change in stance, Samsung<\/a> has conveyed to the telecom department about its intention to apply for the next edition of the production-linked incentive (PLI) 2.0 scheme for network equipment to locally manufacture 4G and 5G<\/a> products. The Korean telecom gear maker is in talks with Reliance Jio<\/a> and Bharti Airtel<\/a> for 4G expansion and 5G supply contracts, people familiar with the matter said.

“Samsung has made its stance clear to the DoT in recent meetings. During its discussions, Samsung has shared a letter with the government that says it will be interested in the phase 2 of the PLI scheme,” a person familiar with the matter told ET.

Samsung had in mid-2021 decided not to take part in the initial PLI scheme for network equipment, reasoning that setting up a plant for network equipment was not viable at that time in India with just one client, Reliance Jio Infocomm. The Korean major had then told officials in the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) that its plants in Vietnam, South Korea and China have sufficient capacity for global demand, including to meet demand for Jio’s 4G network. Samsung has been importing the equipment duty-free through the free trade agreement (FTA) route from South Korea and Vietnam.

But since then, Samsung has been talking to Jio as well as the likes of Bharti Airtel for 4G and 5G equipment supply contracts. Airtel has been looking at options to diversify its vendor base beyond European gear makers Nokia and Ericsson.

Jio, on its part, is currently trialling its own end-to-end 5G stack across the country. But people familiar with the matter said that Jio may award business to Samsung for its 5G network given that the latter was the sole provider of 4G gear for the Mukesh Ambani-owned carrier. Samsung is currently conducting 5G field trials with Jio.

Queries sent to Samsung, Jio and Airtel didn’t elicit any response.

\"Jio,<\/a><\/figure>

Jio, Airtel, Vodafone Idea warn of 5G phone shortage<\/a><\/h2>

Operators have told the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) that such a move would hit data consumption, restrict market access and deprive consumers from buying the latest 5G phones. This scenario would be ironic, given that India’s top mobile carriers are readying to pump in top dollars in the upcoming 5G spectrum auctions, likely to be conducted around May-June, and roll out the next-gen wireless broadband networks later in FY23.<\/p><\/div>

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<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>NEW DELHI: In a change in stance, Samsung<\/a> has conveyed to the telecom department about its intention to apply for the next edition of the production-linked incentive (PLI) 2.0 scheme for network equipment to locally manufacture 4G and 5G<\/a> products. The Korean telecom gear maker is in talks with Reliance Jio<\/a> and Bharti Airtel<\/a> for 4G expansion and 5G supply contracts, people familiar with the matter said.

“Samsung has made its stance clear to the DoT in recent meetings. During its discussions, Samsung has shared a letter with the government that says it will be interested in the phase 2 of the PLI scheme,” a person familiar with the matter told ET.

Samsung had in mid-2021 decided not to take part in the initial PLI scheme for network equipment, reasoning that setting up a plant for network equipment was not viable at that time in India with just one client, Reliance Jio Infocomm. The Korean major had then told officials in the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) that its plants in Vietnam, South Korea and China have sufficient capacity for global demand, including to meet demand for Jio’s 4G network. Samsung has been importing the equipment duty-free through the free trade agreement (FTA) route from South Korea and Vietnam.

But since then, Samsung has been talking to Jio as well as the likes of Bharti Airtel for 4G and 5G equipment supply contracts. Airtel has been looking at options to diversify its vendor base beyond European gear makers Nokia and Ericsson.

Jio, on its part, is currently trialling its own end-to-end 5G stack across the country. But people familiar with the matter said that Jio may award business to Samsung for its 5G network given that the latter was the sole provider of 4G gear for the Mukesh Ambani-owned carrier. Samsung is currently conducting 5G field trials with Jio.

Queries sent to Samsung, Jio and Airtel didn’t elicit any response.

\"Jio,<\/a><\/figure>

Jio, Airtel, Vodafone Idea warn of 5G phone shortage<\/a><\/h2>

Operators have told the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) that such a move would hit data consumption, restrict market access and deprive consumers from buying the latest 5G phones. This scenario would be ironic, given that India’s top mobile carriers are readying to pump in top dollars in the upcoming 5G spectrum auctions, likely to be conducted around May-June, and roll out the next-gen wireless broadband networks later in FY23.<\/p><\/div>