The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in India has officially given Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) the nod for conducting trials concerning the use and applications of 5G technology. This decision puts Chinese companies like Huawei and ZTE out of the 5G competition in India.
Key Information About the Trials:
Aiding TSPs to test 5G’s potential, the trials will last six months, inclusive of a two-month period for procuring necessary equipment. The tests will be situated in urban, semi-urban and rural locations alike. TSPs will have access to an experimental spectrum in multiple bands like the mid-band of 3.2GHz to 3.67GHz, the millimeter wave band from 24.25 GHz to 28.5 GHz, and others. These trials will test various applications such as tele-medicine, tele-education, augmented/virtual reality, and drone-based agriculture monitoring. The data gathered will be stored in India exclusively.
Emphasis on Indigenous Technology
Encouraging the use of indigenous technology, TSPs have been encouraged to conduct trials using 5Gi technology, a variant of the conventional 5G Technology. This technology was advocated by India and approved by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). Developed by IIT Madras, Centre of Excellence in Wireless Technology (CEWiT), and IIT Hyderabad, 5Gi technology promises a more extensive reach of 5G towers and Radio networks.
The Necessity of the 5G Trial
India’s telecom market finds itself with three private telcos only, the rest having surrendered due to low returns on investments over the years. With state-run companies MTNL and BSNL suffering losses, the introduction of 5G technology could boost their average user revenue.
The Absence of Chinese Telecom Companies in Indian Trials
India has excluded Chinese manufacturers Huawei and ZTE from its 5G trials. This move mirrors the US, which alleges that Huawei’s 5G infrastructure could serve for Chinese espionage. Although no official ban has yet been implemented against the Chinese companies in India, a more secure approach towards network security expected to impact them negatively. As per the new procurement rules coming into effect in June 2021, Indian network providers will be restricted to purchasing specific types of equipment from “trusted sources”, potentially including a list of banned suppliers.
Features and Advantages of 5G Technology
5G functions on three bands: low, mid and high frequency spectrum, each with special uses and limitations. 5G is the recent upgrade in the long-term evolution (LTE) mobile broadband networks. With speeds capable of reaching 20 Gbps compared to the 4G speed of 1 Gbps, 5G offers enhanced spectrum efficiency and ultra-low latency. In addition, 5G aims to substantially improve the accessibility of services like mobile banking and healthcare.
The Revolutionary Impact of 5G Applications
Complementing IoT, cloud, big data, AI, and edge computing, 5G could be instrumental in propelling the fourth industrial revolution. It can facilitate real-time relay of information across various sectors and stimulate local Research and Development (R&D) ecosystem. According to a 2018 government report, 5G is projected to generate a cumulative economic impact of USD1 trillion in India by 2035.
The Evolution from 1G to 5G
Since the launch of 1G in the ’80s, telecommunication technology has come a long way. From only supporting voice calls, to enabling digital voice, video calls and conferencing with 3G in the 2000s to the introduction of 3D virtual reality with 4G in 2009, the impending 5G technology is expected to further revolutionize the industry.