ABOUT 5G TECHNOLOGY
5G is the further development of the existing mobile communications standards 2G, 3G, and 4G. Data can now be downloaded even faster from the Internet. But there is much, much more: 5G stands for the development of a mobile communications standard that focuses not only on the digital connectivity of people, but also on communications between sensors, devices, and machines in the Internet of Things. With peak data transfer rates of 20 Gbps, 5G is up to 20 times faster than 4G, can transmit data with an extremely low latency of one millisecond (basically without delay), and is nearly as reliable as wired data transfers with a high reliability of up to 99.9999 percent.
For the first time ever, it is possible to have “critical communications” over 5G networks in real time. This means that applications that need to operate absolutely reliably and securely can be implemented wirelessly with 5G. This applies equally to a remote-controlled crane or a manufacturing plant. 5G opens up new fields of application in industry where the performance of other wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi fell short in the past.
HOW 5G IS STARTED:
Sixty-seven countries have active 5G networks, according to an S&P Global Market Intelligence report. And this group is rapidly expanding. India, however, is likely to take a while to get there. Though the department of telecom took the crucial step of allocating trial 5G spectrum to telecom companies in May, it is said that spectrum auction and commercial rollout of 5G services might happen only next year.
DoT has allowed trials in rural and urban areas of Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Pune and Hyderabad, and Gujarat. Telecom companies can use their existing frequency and have also been allotted additional spectrum for this. Reliance Jio, India’s largest telecom services provider, has started trials in Mumbai; Airtel, the second-largest player, is at it in Gurugram and Mumbai. Vi, the third-largest, has started 5G trials in Pune and Gandhinagar with its network partners, Finland-based Nokia and Ericsson of Sweden.
HOW 5G IS SPREADED
Nokia is producing 5G equipment at its factory in Chennai. It was the first to make the 5G New Radio (the global standard for a unified 5G) in the country. It has also started manufacturing massive Multiple Input Multiple Output (mMIMO) solutions. MIMO is a radio communications technology used to multiply radio link capacity using multiple transmission and receiving antennas. This helps in improving data quality and radio transmission capacity.
Apart from indigenous technology and architecture, India’s 5G networks will also have a local flavour. The department of telecom has encouraged companies to use the 5Gi standard, in addition to 5G, during the trials. Developed by IIT Madras, the Centre of Excellence in Wireless Technology (CEWiT) and IIT Hyderabad, 5Gi is one of the three 5G technologies that were approved by the International Telecommunications Union as a 5G standard.
A sensitive issue is going to be the price. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had earlier recommended a reserve price of Rs492 crore per megahertz of spectrum in the 3,300Mhz-3,600Mhz band. Telecom companies say the high pricing will make the commercial launch of 5G unviable for them. “India is a price-sensitive market,” said Kochhar. “Effective spectrum pricing is critical for a healthy sale of spectrums. Otherwise, high reserve prices can lead to spectrums remaining unsold, thereby making for unviable and unsustainable business cases.
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