PM Modi launches ‘100 times faster’ 5G services in India. Key points

Prime Minister Narendra Modi rolled out 5G cellular network services for key cities in India on Saturday at the sixth edition of Indian Mobile Congress in Delhi. The service is available in eight cities from today, but progressively it will cover the entire country over the next couple of years. A Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA) report said that by 2030, the share of 2G and 3G connections will fall below 10%.

Transforming India’s digital landscape

The fifth generation or 5G service is expected to unleash new economic opportunities and societal benefits, serving as a transformational force for Indian society. The Prime Minister said that digital India’s success is based on four pillars, including the cost of a device, digital connectivity, data costs and the digital first approach. According to an official release, 5G can unleash new economic opportunities and societal benefits, giving it the potential for being a transformational force for Indian society. It said, “It will help the country leapfrog the traditional barriers to development, spur innovations by startups and business enterprises as well as advance the ‘Digital India’ vision”.

Give impetus to Economy

Touted as 100 times faster than the current 4G service, this upgraded version is said to boost India’s economy by Rs. 36.40 lakh crore between 2023 and 2040, as per a recent report by GSMA — a global industry association which represents mobile network operators. It is said that the manufacturing sector will be hugely benefited by the move. Experts have said 5G technology will greatly benefit India. The GSMA report says that the subscriber base in India was ready for the transition to 5G looking at the high rate of adoption of 4G services — which stood at 79%, as per media report. The sectors which will benefit the most are the manufacturing sector (20%) followed by retail (12%) and agriculture (11%).

India Mobile Congress

The India Mobile Congress is organized jointly by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI). It is claimed to be the largest telecom, media, and technology forum in Asia. Last month, Union Minister for Communications, Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw had asked service providers to gear up for the 5G launch. Vaishnaw said they were targeting 80% coverage in a short span while noting that it took years for countries to reach 40-50% coverage.

59% users to upgrade in a year

According to the Ericsson ConsumerLab study titled ‘Promise of 5G’ in India, 5G network superiority could emerge as a driver for consumer loyalty with 59 percent of smartphone users intending to upgrade to 5G in the first 12 months. Over 10 crore users with 5G smartphones were ready to subscribe to the upgraded service in 2023. The report said 59% of smartphone users are looking to upgrade to 5G within 12 months.

Service available to all by March 2024

The government has given a target of 80 per cent coverage of 5G telecom services in the country in a short timeframe, Vaishnaw had earlier said. Earlier, the cost of 1GB data was about Rs 300, it has come down to about Rs 10 per GB now. On average, a person in India consumes 14GB per month. This would have cost about Rs 4,200 per month but costs Rs 125-150. It’s the efforts of the government that led to this.

-INDIA NEWS STREAM