With this issue, we celebrate our 23rd anniversary, and also India’s transformative telecom journey over the past twelve months.
The biggest highlight of the year, of course, was the commercial launch of 5G services in October 2022. The pace of roll-outs has since accelerated with services now available in more than 100 cities.
The per capita data consumption reached 16.4 GB per month, the highest in the world. This data growth, coupled with tariff hikes, helped the sector clock a high 14 per cent growth in sales during 2022.
On the policy front, the government initiated a slew of structural and procedural reforms including the formulation of the Draft Indian Telecommunication Bill, 2022, which lays down forward-looking policy and regulatory provisions. The deployment of telecom infrastructure has been made easier by the introduction of the Wireless Licensing Reforms of 2022 and the amendments to the RoW Rules.
The fate of Vodafone Idea, however, still hangs in the balance, impacting the sector’s competitive landscape.
Stepping into 2023, aggressive 5G roll-outs are expected. 5G for enterprises, including 5G private networks, is likely to pick up across several industries. The government is keen to leverage 5G as a vehicle to develop applications such as smart classrooms, precision farming, intelligent transport systems and healthcare.
Tariffs, though somewhat rationalised, are far from reasonable levels and 2023 may see some more rounds of tariff hikes, enhancing telco profitability.
The country may also witness the launch of satellite internet services, auctions for which are being planned in the latter half of 2023.
