Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has asked all telecom service providers to prepare for the launch of 5G services in India. He said that the spectrum assignment letter had been issued. He also directed the service providers to prepare for launch. In his Independence Day address, PM Modi had said that the wait for 5G is over and the services shall be launched soon. While addressing the nation from the Red Fort, PM Modi said that India’s ‘Techade’ is here and soon every village in India shall be digitally connected. Some media reports had suggested that PM Modi will officially launch the 5G services during India Mobile Congress (IMC) in October this year.
The government sold the 5G spectrum to Jio, Airtel, Adani group and Vodafone Idea. It is expected Bharti Airtel will start rollout of 5G spectrum by end of this month and cover all towns and key rural areas by March 2024. Jio, too, is planning 5G coverage in top 1000 cities upon completion of trial of 5G telecom devices. The 5th generation mobile network (5G) offers ultra-high speed internet connectivity and is distinct in connecting virtually everything including machines, objects, and devices due to its low latency compared to the previous iteration – 4G. It can also connect billions of devices and share data in real-time.
