Why India should take a cautious approach towards the 5G rollout

In this year's Union Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman spoke about conducting 5G spectrum auctions this year. Also in the works is a scheme for design-led manufacturing to build a strong ecosystem for 5G as part of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme. 
 
But while there's no doubt that 5G has the potential to speed up the way business is 
done, the 5G auction and the subsequent rollout of 5g services also have the potential to seriously impact national security and India's military capability. 
 
Why is 5G a game-changer? 

5G has been touted to be a watershed in telecom, and it seems that in this era of work from home, we need faster data to ensure businesses can scale. 

Fifth Generation (5G) mobile communication technology is a paradigm shift in the field of communications because it not only enables human to human communication but machine to machine communication as well. 

Also Read: Airtel, Vi, Jio, MTNL given permission to conduct 5G trials: Govt

There are three main use cases of 5G. 

The first is enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) with very high data speeds that can go up to 20 Gbps. 

In fact, 5G speeds can be 5x-100x as fast as 4G. The second is Ultra-high Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) - in simple words, this is the kind of communication used for industrial and consumer applications such as AR/VR devices and remote surgery. 

The third use case is Massive Machine Type Communications (MMTC) wherein a large number of devices that use a small amount of data - such as IoT (Internet of Things) devices in a smart city - are connected to the mobile network. 

Globally, 59 countries have deployed 5G so far. In the West, this includes countries like the USA, Canada, UK and countries in the European Union. In Asia, China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and the Philippines have rolled out 5G. In the Middle East, UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain are among those who have joined the race. 

It's clear that 5G has potential applications in hundreds of ways and the world's major economies are not keen to be left behind in the rollout, but it's this very ubiquity that makes 5G threatening. 

Also Read: Budget 2022: India's 5G rollout planned for 2022-2023

The threats from 5G 
  
The increased risk of hacking of data is one of the immediate concerns of 5G. Hackers can use mobile and external IP networks for spying and stealing data. The use of common Internet protocols such as HTTP and TLS in 5G also lowers the entry barrier for hackers. This could be a potential means for cyberattacks. 

The risk also increases as more and more poorly secured IoT devices are used. These devices transfer trillions of bytes of data every day and have personally sensitive information of users.  

From a national security perspective, potential targets in 5G networks include critical information infrastructure (CIIs) and mission-critical and nationally important networks. 

What's more, the proliferation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) - commonly known as drones - is a sure-shot consequence of the 5G rollout. The threat of automotive cyber-attacks through 5G networks will rise as UAVs become more widespread. 

5G also interferes with airplanes' radio altimeters, which give readings of the height above the ground during a flight's approach. This is critical during poor visibility and for aircraft flying at low altitudes. 

Indian security agencies have also long been raising national security implications of the role of Chinese telecom manufacturers Huawei and ZTE in its 5G allocation scenario. Huawei and ZTE equipment could be used to conduct cyberattacks and espionage. Why is this? China's National Intelligence Law, enacted in June 2017, requires Chinese companies to cooperate with intelligence services, including the compulsory installation of backdoors in devices that infiltrate data privacy. 

Several countries over the years have raised data privacy concerns against Huawei, including the US, UK, Romania, Netherlands and Australia. Most recently, France made the decision to phase out all Huawei products from 5G devices by 2028. 

The best workaround for this is to make domestic procurement mandatory for all 5G equipment. The inclusion of 5G in the PLI scheme will also enable domestic procurement. 

India needs to adopt the requisite standard for 5G services to address security concerns. The Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecommunication Equipment (MTCTE), under which Indian OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) get certified by the government, should be extended to 5G equipment as well. 

To encourage that the spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat is followed when it comes to the 5G rollout, there is a need to work closely with startups/MSMEs, academia, telecom service providers and the industry in the setting up of labs that can research and develop new use cases for 5G, keeping in mind adequate safeguards. 

For this, the government needs to step in with adequate funding and hand-holding. Data from all critical services, especially banks and payment services, should be hosted from India rather than abroad. India's Data Protection Act, which has stringent rules for transferring data outside India and mandates data localisation, is a step in the right direction. 

Data, the new oil 

It's also important to note that there is not enough preparation for the launching of 5G 
services in India. In the coming few years, the core of communications will be dominated by 4G and radio. 

This gives India plenty of time to put in place safeguards for 5G deployment in mission-critical and nationally important networks such as the Air Force Net (AFNet), Network for Spectrum (NFS) which is used by the Defence Services and BharatNet, which connects rural India with high-speed internet. 

Data is now considered the new "oil" - that's how valuable it has become. India should do everything to safeguard its data and not hurry towards a risky 5G rollout.

(Dr NishaKant Ojha is an Advisor Cyber ,Aerospace & Counter Terrorism - Advisor West Asia -Middle East (Under Paris Convention-Treaty)-Eminent Faculty-Defense& Para Military )A Unit -Government of India, Co-opted Director-Government Apex Body.)