- India’s first 5G call was made at IIT Madras yesterday by Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
- Telecom Ministry to move 5G spectrum auction proposal into the Union Cabinet for approval next week.
- Home-grown 5G technology to be tested and commercialised by 2023.
The Indian Communications and Electronics & Information Technology ministry tested India’s first 5G call at IIT Madras yesterday. Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw successfully tested an audio and video call on the new 5G spectrum, after PM Narendra Modi launched the 5G testbed in the country earlier this week. Minister Vaishnaw also praised the indigenous origins of the entire network, stating the entire end-to-end network was developed in India.
The Telecom Ministry plans to move into the auctions phase for the upcoming 5G spectrum soon, while the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will be looking into the recommendations on spectrum pricing and other nuances. The Indian Government has chalked out an elaborate timeline for the 5G network and plans to start services in 2022-23. Interestingly, India also plans to move into the 6G space by 2030, while testing could start as early as 2024.
5G launch in India gets a boost
India’s first audio-video call over 5G network by Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the nation’s first 5G testbed in IIT Madras. The testbed, developed by IIT Madras at a cost of Rs 220 crore, will help Indian players to make and certify in India and reduce the dependence on foreign bodies.
After the test’s success, Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “We’re proud of the IIT-Madras team which has developed the 5G test pad which will provide huge opportunities to the entire 5G development ecosystem and the Hyperloop initiative. Railways Ministry will fully support the Hyperloop initiative.” Ashwini added the new solution will be made available for commercial purposes via the state-owned BSNL and on a later date via private operators.
BSNL will be working with an Indian Government-owned body, the Centre for Development of Telematics (CDot) for 4G and 5G networks. Tata Group will come into the picture with TCS and Tejas. BSNL’s network will be upgraded to 4G followed by 5G.
The Department of Telecommunications will likely send the 5G spectrum auction proposal to the Union Cabinet for approval next week. India aims to achieve higher efficiency as well as reduced costs while deploying the full stack 5G network for consumers with utilisation of in-house development and manufacturing.
