PM Modi to launch 5G services in India in October
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch 5G cellular network services in India in the first week of October at the India Mobile Congress event to be held at Pragati Maidan in Delhi, according to the government's National Broadband Mission. The government has set an ambitious target of 80% coverage of the total in a short span of time and expects absolute coverage by 2024.
Why does this story matter?
During his Independence Day speech, PM Modi had said that India would get 5G sooner than expected. In this year's Budget presentation, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced that spectrum auctions will be carried out in 2022 to enable the launch of 5G services. Last month, Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had asked service providers to gear up for the 5G launch.
Indian Mobile Congress announced the event on Twitter
'Expected to add Rs. 36.4 lakh crore to economy'
Touted as 100 times faster than 4G, this upgraded version is said to boost India's economy by Rs. 36.4 lakh crore between 2023 and 2040, as per a recent report by Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA) — a global industry association which represents mobile network operators. It predicts 5G services to account for over one-third of total connections in India by 2030.
What is India Mobile Congress?
With claims of being the largest telecom, media, and technology forum in entire Asia, the India Mobile Congress is organized jointly by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI). Addressing an industry event last week, Vaishnav said they were targeting 80% coverage in a short span while noting that it took years for countries to reach 40-50% coverage.
Manufacturing sector expected to benefit the most
The GSMA report says that the subscriber base in India was ready for the transition to 5G looking at the high rate of adoption of 4G services — which stood at 79%. The sectors which will benefit the most are manufacturing sector (20%) followed by retail (12%) and agriculture (11%). By March 2024, almost all of India is expected to have 5G coverage.
