June 3, 2022
Optical fibre cables are being installed to connect 600,000 villages across India, as a premise for rolling out 5G
The Telecom minister held bilateral talks with a Japanese government official to discuss 5G collaboration
India has created its own 4G stack with 4G Core and Radio Access Networks across the country
The government is also launching a research and development fund for supporting the development of telecom technology
The Indian government plans to launch 5G technology developed in-house by August of this year, according to Minister of State for Telecommunications Devusinh Chauhan, while speaking at the World Summit of Information Society (WSIS) 2022.
According to Chauhan, India has created its own 4G stack, with 4G Core and Radio Access Networks being constructed and tested across the country. It enables operators to select any vendor, reduce expenses, and enables easier expansion. By August 2022, an indigenous 5G stack is also planned to be deployed.
Both the private and public research organizations are collaborating to develop 5G technology domestically.
An important premise of 5G is bridging the digital divide in India. According to the minister, optical fibre cables are being installed to connect 600,000 villages across India, in order to establish a dependable Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure. Small and distant islands, as well as other inaccessible places, are being connected through satellite communication services and undersea cable networks, he added.
Chauhan also said that the government is also launching a research and development fund for supporting the development of telecom technology.
On another note, the minister held bilateral talks with a Japanese government official for policy coordination, in which they discussed mutual collaboration in a variety of sectors, including 5G and network security.