Is 5G A Game-Changer for India?

NEW DELHI: The Department of Telecommunications allowed private telcos like - Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio Infocomm, and Vodafone Idea and state-run Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) to start trials for 5G technology.

The trials will last for 6 months, including a 2 month period for procurement and setting up of the equipment. In these 6 months, telcos will be required to test their setup in urban areas, semi-urban areas as well as rural areas. Read more

During this period, the telcos will be provided with an experimental spectrum in various bands, such as the mid-band of 3.2 GHz to 3.67 GHz, the millimeter-wave band of 24.25 GHz to 28.5 GHz, and others. Read more

If works and trails go hand-in-hand, 5G is expected to be significantly smarter, faster, and efficient compared to its legacy 3G and 4G predecessors.

For instance, it holds a promise of 100 times more speed relative to 4G networks. The possibilities, with a network like this, are unfathomable. Read more

Notably, the current policies set directions to lay foundations for the 5G ecosystem with the aim to:

> Enhance the contribution of the digital communication sector to 8 percent of India's GDP

> Propel India to the top 50 nations in the ICT development index of ITU

> Policy landscape to steer the growth of digital revolution - National Digital Communication Policy (NDCP) 2018 aiming at US$ 100 billion investment in the sector and ensuring broadband coverage at 50 Mbps for every citizen, Draft Cloud Computing policy, Electronic Development Fund (EDF) policy, National Manufacturing Policy, and Preferential Market Access (PMA).

5G wireless technology is meant to deliver higher multi-Gbps peak data speeds, ultra-low latency, more reliability, massive network capacity, increased availability, and a more uniform user experience to more users. Higher performance and improved efficiency empower new user experiences and connect new industries.

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