The nine-member Steering Committee, led by Stanford University Professor AJ Paulraj, recently submitted the report, ‘Making India 5G Ready,’ to the telecom secretary. The committee proposed that the Indian government should announce its 5G policy by December 31, 2018, and that 5G services should be operational in the country by 2020.
Key Recommendations of the Committee
To prepare India for this technological leap, the committee made several key recommendations across different sectors.
Spectrum Policy
The committee proposed that India’s spectrum allocation should be significantly enhanced on various fronts to realize digital infrastructure as a core utility under the Digital India initiative. They observed that the cost of spectrum relative to per-capita GDP is high and emphasized the need for India to formulate a more favourable spectrum policy in anticipation of the 5G era.
Regulatory policy
The committee stressed the need for regulatory policy support for the deployment of mobile networks, citing their close linkages with the country’s physical, financial, and security infrastructure.
Education and Awareness Promotion Program
Given the economic potential of 5G, the committee underscored the importance of promoting 5G awareness and advancing related skill development within the country. They recommended three initiatives, namely, attracting global 5G conference events to India, setting up national 5G events, and creating a comprehensive skills development program.
Applications and Use Case Labs
The committee advocated for the establishment of Applications and Use Case Labs to facilitate deeper and faster deployment of 5G in India. These labs would serve multiple functions such as interoperability testing for new applications, fostering innovation in 5G use cases, and encouraging entrepreneurship to develop locally tailored solutions.
Development of Information Technology Standards
With the advent of 5G and its potential for diverse applications, the committee projected that numerous fresh requirements would arise. They recommended both short-term and long-term initiatives to develop a ten-year strategy for Information Technology Standards.
Participation in International Standards
To ensure India’s active participation in international standards, the committee suggested short-term initiatives like setting up ‘Standards Project Teams’ with funding for consistent participation in standards activities. They also proposed the constitution of an expert committee to recommend a ten-year strategy for Information Technology Standards in India.
Technology Demonstration and Major Trials
The committee recommended inviting major global Original Equipment Manufacturers to conduct comprehensive 5G trials in India in collaboration with local partners.
Positive Impact of 5G on Indian Economy
According to the report, the implementation of 5G services is projected to have a cumulative economic impact of over $1 trillion by 2035. Early 5G deployment can not only accelerate these dividends but could also position India as a significant player in innovation. As per the OECD Committee on Digital Economic Policy, 5G technologies can help increase GDP, create employment opportunities, and digitize the economy.
What is 5G?
The 5G standards envisage various types of wireless services ranging from high-speed links with peak rates of 2 to 20 Gbps, low-speed links but with high connection density (one million per Sq. Km.) for sensing and actuating devices (IoT), low latency, to high connection reliability (link outage of 0.99999).