New Delhi: Telecom Minister ashwini vaishnav It said on Saturday that 5G deployment will begin in 20-25 cities and towns by the end of the year, and indicated that India, with its current data prices far below the global average, will increase the rate as new services roll out. Will continue to set benchmarks.
Vaishnav said that the deployment of 5G will start from August-September.
The Minister said that India is developing 4G and 5G stacks, and is ready to strengthen its position as a trusted source for the world in digital networks.
Speaking at ‘TV9 What India Thinks’ global summit today’, Vaishnav said nations are keen to give preference to 4G and 5G products and technologies being developed by India.
The minister informed that to address the issue of unwanted calls, a “critical” regulation is in the works, which will enable the KYC-identified name of a caller to be displayed, informed the minister.
On 5G services, he said: “I can say with confidence that at least 20-25 cities and towns will start deploying 5G by the end of the year.”
When asked about the pricing for 5G services, Vaishnav observed that even today data rates in India are around $2, while the global average is $25.
“We are already the lowest in the world, at least by a factor of 10X…10X we are cheaper than the world, the same trend will happen in other regions as well,” he said. As India prepares to launch 5G services, it has also developed 4G and 5G technology stacks.
Underlining India’s resolve to match global progress in 4G and 5G and take technology lead in 6G, the Minister said that the world has noticed the country’s progress and shown serious interest in indigenous technologies being developed.
“The telecom network that supports mobile phones has to be a reliable network. India’s name tops the list of trusted network providers. When India develops a technology, the whole world is interested in it,” he said.
It is pertinent to mention that 5G services will usher in higher speeds – about 10 times faster than 4G – and give rise to new-age offerings and business models.
The government will auction airwaves worth around Rs 4.3 lakh crore capable of offering fifth generation or 5G telecom services, including ultra-high-speed internet, and has also given its nod for setting up captive 5G networks by tech firms.
The 72 GHz spectrum will be placed in the block during the 5G auction starting July 26, 2022.
On the issue of unwanted calls, Vaishnav said that a new rule will be enabled in the offing KYC The name (as given in the mobile sim application) is to be displayed when someone makes a call. The process of deliberation on this is still going on.
“Once the industry stakeholder consultation is completed, it will be implemented across the country,” the minister said.
To a query on the slow download speed experienced by the customers, the minister pointed out that India’s average data consumption is 18 GB per month, higher than the global average of 11 GB per month.
He said, “India’s data consumption is higher than that of highly developed countries. There is a need for more investment in infrastructure. Large scale investments in infrastructure are significant in the backdrop of data rates, call drops, call quality.”
The minister said the telecom sector reforms announced in September last year have brought stability to the industry.
He further said that at times it becomes difficult to install towers in Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai and other cities as people object to mobile towers. Electro-magnetic field (EMF) radiation norms in India are more stringent than the prescribed global limits, he said and assured that there is no reason to be concerned on this aspect.
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