While the 5G commercial rollout is awaited in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a 5G testbed in the country today. It will support the telecom industry and startups involved in the sector to validate their products, solutions, and prototypes in 5G and next-generation technologies as well.
He addressed a virtual program today to mark the silver jubilee celebration of TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India). To commemorate the occasion, the PM released a postal stamp.
5G Testbed In India
The 5G testbed has been developed by eight institutes led by IIT Madras. The other institutions that participated in the project include IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Kanpur, IISc Bangalore, Centre of Excellence in Wireless Technology (CEWiT) and Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering & Research (SAMEER).
This multi-institute collaborative project has been developed at a cost of over Rs. 220 crore, stated the release.
The 5G testbed will pave the way for a supportive ecosystem for the Indian industry and startups, as mentioned above. The launch of the testbed will come on a day that the DCC (Digital Communications Commission), which is the highest decision-making body of DoT (Department of Telecommunications) is to decide upon the modalities of the spectrum auction for 5G.
Notably, the meeting is likely to decide on the tenure for which to hand over the spectrum to telcos, the ways in which telecom operators can partner with the industry for private 5G networks and the rollout obligations for select 5G bands.
5G And India!
It is also an important step towards self-reliance on critical and modern technology in the telecom sector. He said that it will play a big role in bringing 5G technology to the villages of the country. Furthermore, PM Modi continued to state that the connectivity in the 21st century India will determine the pace of progress of the country and it has to be modernized at each and every level.
5G technology will bring positive changes in the governance of the country, ease of living, and ease of doing business. This will boost growth in agriculture, health, education, infrastructure, and logistics among other sectors. This will increase the facility and many employment opportunities will also be created.
Furthermore, the PM stated that in the next 15 years, 5G is going to benefit the Indian economy by $450 million.
