Telecom operators Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea have offered to join hands with controversial Chinese company Huawei for the upcoming 5G trials.

The two operators and Reliance Jio, have submitted their proposals for the trials on Wednesday, the last day of application.

Sources said Airtel has joined hands with Huawei, ZTE, Ericsson and Nokia for the 5G trials in the country, while Jio has partnered Samsung. Vodafone Idea has also tied up with Huawei, ZTE, Ericsson and Nokia.

The department of telecom (DoT) initiated the process for deploying 5G in the country on December 31 by meeting major operators and vendors to discuss the road map for the trials, which are expected to happen in January-March.

The government will allocate the trial spectrum to its licensees, that is the telecom service providers, who can then choose to partner the vendors.

RSS affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) has said Huawei should be barred from the trials for security reasons.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the outfit claimed that there was ample evidence leading to the suspicion that Chinese companies indulge in collecting sensitive information from devices and equipment they export.

5G is the next generation of wireless technology and will boost data speeds and propel the Internet of Things, with the potential to bring radical changes in agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare and education.

Last month, telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had said the government would allocate airwaves to all telecom service providers for the trials. India will also not bar any equipment supplier.

The stance spelt relief for Chinese telecom gear maker Huawei, which rivals western equipment makers such as Ericsson, and is facing curbs in the US.

Many countries, however, have allowed their telecom service providers to use Chinese gears.

Now, India has also indicated its reluctance to keep any company out of the 5G trials. Huawei’s gear is said to be cheaper and more cost-efficient for domestic telecom companies.

The US claims Huawei’s equipment poses a risk because of back-door installations in its systems that could leak data.

The US has also claimed that Huawei’s owners have close links with the Chinese military, a charge that the company has denied. The US has been warning other countries from relying on the Chinese telecom player for their 5G networks.