With several nations already on 5G, India is currently delaying due to modalities such as pricing and tenure. Read on to know more…
5G tials in India were first scheduled for January 2019 but are delayed over the government’s final decision to start 5G trials. With several nations already on 5G, India is currently delaying due to modalities such as pricing and tenure. While Indian telcos say the trials are important to develop local use-cases, some equipment makers say it is too late, considering that over 50 commercial 5G networks have already been rolled out globally and their use-cases can be modified for the South Asian nation. While the US, South Korea and China, among other major countries, are ahead on testing, India has its own set of challenges to address.
Why 5G Tech
5G is expected to bring some key improvements to the current generation of mobile networks with regard to data transfer speed, latency and throughput. Besides, the next-generation mobile network is also expected to enable the full potential of the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem, bringing to reality the concept of connected homes, office spaces, vehicles, and more.
By spurring innovation and creating a new wave of opportunities, 5G will bring socio-economic growth to nations in every corner of the globe. It will enable a connected, digital society and act as a core foundation for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, building on the scale of billions of connected devices and a global system of vendors. Like previous generations of mobile technology, 5G could have numerous impacts on people’s daily lives, irrespective of where they live – beyond simply economic. Depending on the different use cases and verticals, advantages could include increased access and availability to more advanced healthcare and education; reduced pollution; increased efficiency in transportation; and enhanced capabilities to respond to issues of public safety.
As new 5G-enabled services and applications are realized, new jobs will be created and talent upskilled and reskilled. These developments will help us establish and foster a cleaner, safer and more sustainable society for current and future generations. In fact, no person, no industry and no country, will be left untouched by the benefits of a 5G future.
Global Adaptation
The first 5G networks have already gone live in several markets around the world including the US, Asia, Australia and Europe. As expected, the first applications of 5G in these markets have been enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) and Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) which are targeted at consumers like us. Having said that, to fully realize the potential of 5G the global community must come together to remove regulatory and policy barriers and modernize the network infrastructure. Governments need to collaborate with 5G network providers to encourage infrastructure investment and achieve larger, long-term objectives.
The Road Ahead
Considering the benefits of 5G, at least in terms of what it promises on paper, and given India’s growing demand for data services, it is safe to assume that the technology would help put the country’s dream of a digital economy on the fast track. However, despite several developments on the 5G front, the next-generation network does not appear to be anywhere close to getting rolled out in the country.
For 5G to become a reality – and for its benefits reach the many – governments and regulators across markets, including in India, must look at it as national infrastructure. In this way, it has the potential to be the basis on which digital visions of various nations are realized.
