Telecom Lead India: GSMA
is set to strengthen the GSMA Security Working Group in the wake of widespread
pressing concerns affecting the mobile security landscape. GSMA has urged
telecom operators to ensure security to users and government by testing
equipments themselves and not relying on equipment makers alone. Huawei and ZTE
are facing problems in several markets due to network security issues.
GSMA director general Anne Bouverot said security is on
the top priority for the telecom body. Due to significant increase in
deployments, operators and users are looking for improving security for data
and their network.
To a question on whether GSMA would like to comment on
telecom network security issues involving Huawei and ZTE, GSMA director
general told Telecom Lead: We cannot comment specifically about any
equipment vendors. We recommend operators to ensure security to their customers
and network by testing themselves.”
Currently Huawei and ZTE are facing U.S. legislators’ probe.
Now it’s the time for the two equipment vendors to prove their points to the
entire telecom world.
U.S. intelligence probe will assist Huawei and ZTE to prove
themselves
The investigation would look into whether the expansion of
these firms in the U.S. posed a security threat. Both Huawei and ZTE can prove themselves if
the U.S. House intelligence committee gives a clean chit to them. The result of
the U.S. probe can also become a benchmark for the telecom industry.
According to GSMA, the GSMA Security Working Group is the
oldest working group since 1989, responsible for the identification and
analysis of security risks to which telecom operators are exposed. The group
maintains and keeps security algorithms on behalf of the Association and
participates in the main international standard bodies such as ETSI and 3GPP.
Bouverot said GSMA is also looking for a long term roadmap
for spectrum that will assist mobile operators to become cost effective and
plan investment effectively.
Through sufficient spectrum allocation, India
can become a leader in the provision of mobile broadband and take
advantage of the huge economic benefits, which could generate more than Rs
3,146 billion to India’s GDP by 2020.
10 percent mobile broadband growth in India will create $80
billion extra revenue
Recently, GSMA said that 10 percent increase in broadband
penetration in India will contribute a combined $80 billion (INR 3,506 billion)
of net revenues across the country’s transport, healthcare and education
sectors by 2015.
Currently broadband penetration in India is 1.7 percent, and
is forecast to rise to 12.5 percent by 2015.
However, to achieve this it is essential that additional
spectrum is released quickly, most notably the 700MHzand 2.6GHz bands, so
that mobile operators can roll out next-generation Mobile Broadband networks
and services and meet demand.
Baburajan K
editor@telecomlead.com
