The Indian Prime Minister recently inaugurated the country’s first 5G testbed in a step towards self-reliance in crucial and advanced telecom technologies. The move is expected to reduce local start-ups’ reliance on facilities abroad for product testing and validation, with the 5G testbed setup costing roughly Rs. 220 crore.
Significance of the 5G Testbed
The start-up of 5G technology in India marks an important step for the country’s telecom industry. Prior to its establishment, start-ups and industry players had to travel abroad to test and validate their products for use within a 5G network. The newly established 5G testbed will enable Indian start-ups to test locally, fostering innovation and technological advancement.
India’s own 5G standard, named 5Gi, was developed as a collaborative effort between IIT Hyderabad and Madras (Chennai). This Indian-made 5G standard aims at bringing 5G technology to rural parts of the country, increasing connectivity and boosting technological advancements.
About 5G Technology
As the fifth generation mobile network, 5G is a new global wireless standard following 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks. It’s designed to connect nearly everyone and everything, including machines, objects, devices, and people. In the high-band spectrum of 5G, internet speeds have been tested to be as high as 20 Gbps (gigabits per second), a significant increase when compared to the maximum internet data speed recorded in 4G which tops out at 1 Gbps.
In India, the Satcom Industry Association-India (SIA) has expressed concern over the Government’s plan to include the Millimetre Wave (mm Wave) bands in the 5G spectrum auction.
The Impact of 5G in India
The implementation of 5G technology would usher in changes across multiple sectors, easing living conditions and facilitating business operations. It’s expected to boost growth in sectors like agriculture, health, education, infrastructure and logistics, while also increasing convenience and creating many employment opportunities.
Challenges for 5G Rollout in India
The rollout of 5G in India faces multiple obstacles. Low Fiberization Footprint is one; currently, fibre connectivity connects only 30% of India’s telecom towers, a number that needs to double for efficient 5G launch and adoption.
The ‘Make in India’ Hardware Challenge includes bans on certain foreign telecom OEMs (original equipment manufacturers). Another hurdle is high spectrum pricing, with India’s 5G spectrum pricing being significantly higher than the global average. Finally, choosing the optimal 5G technology standard remains a challenge. The ongoing tussle between the homegrown 5Gi standard and the global 3GPP standard needs to be resolved to accelerate the implementation of 5G technology.
Moving Forward
To fully realize the potential of 5G, the country needs to encourage and boost local 5G hardware manufacturing. Rationalization of spectrum pricing is also necessary, so the government can generate sufficient revenue from auctions without hindering the implementation plans for 5G in India.
5G can be deployed across different band spectrums, providing a much longer range at the low band spectrum, which will benefit rural areas by increasing accessibility and connectivity.
