India is on the verge of a digital revolution, powered by increasing broadband and internet penetration, exponential data uptake, digitalization, and increasing technology adoption across various industries. This revolution will generate new growth avenues, boost industrial productivity, and potentially transform the country's socio-economic condition.
As per National Digital Communications Policy, it is believed that India’s digital economy has the potential to reach $1 trillion by the year 2025, driven by increased proliferation of smartphones, increased internet penetration, growth of mobile broadband and data, and social media.
To maintain pace and compete with leading developed economies of the world, the adoption of 5G will have an important role to play in India. From smart cities and industrial automation to connected devices, big data, and cloud computing, 5G is envisaged to be the key catalyst that can fuel this growth.
Despite joining the 5G bandwagon a little late, India has realized the importance of technology and made crucial investments in its developments. 5G, the fifth generation of wireless networks, will open the door to life-changing innovations that will flourish and dramatically change our day-to-day lives.
As India moves towards 5G deployment and aims to deliver on its digital goals and ambitions, mobile broadband must remain at the heart of its policy vision. To achieve the potential of the 5G era, three critical elements are required: substantial investment in digital infrastructure; a digital environment that inspires trust; and a modernized policy and regulatory framework.
But how will this digital revolution transform industry? 5G is expected to revolutionize the industrial landscape with its enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communications (URLLC), and Massive Machine Type Communications (MMTC) capabilities.
Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has earmarked 300 MHz in the mid-band spectrum of the 3.3-3.6 GHz range for 5G. This offers good coverage and speed and has a wide international consensus. Also, the sub-1GHz band, given its strength for good indoor coverage, is best suited for the massive Internet of Things (IoT) use cases but is currently being used for broadcasting and radiolocation services. In addition, the band above 24 GHz is also getting acceptance globally because of lightning-fast.
While finding the right spectrum is important, the main challenge will be pricing. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has suggested a base price at Rs 492 crore per MHz — an additional burden of about Rs 50,000 crore for 100 MHz. Its proposed reserve price is up to six times higher than a similar spectrum sold recently in countries like South Korea, Spain, Britain, and Italy. This makes for a fragile business case for telcos, many of whom are already reeling under severe financial challenges.
5G deployment will require overcoming several technological and operational challenges, the biggest one being extensive liberalization. Most operators are at about 20-25% liberalization. However, a truly 5G experience will require upwards of 80% liberalization. The antennae will also need to be upgraded at every site while requiring virtualization of the core and access with an entirely new orchestration layer to achieve the critical feature of 5G network slicing.
You must be logged in to post a comment.