According to Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of Communications, Electronics and Information Technology and Railways, India is in talks with 18 countries that are keen to implement the 4G/5G technology stack. He added that the whole country will get 5G coverage by December 2024. The government was targeting to reach 200 districts in phase-1 of the 5G rollout by March 31, 2023, but has already touched 387 districts. The minister also informed that India already has 100 patents for 6G telecom technology.
Further, Vaishnaw said that the country’s telecom sector was plagued with numerous problems such as litigation and legacy issues, but has now emerged as a sunrise sector that is investment-oriented and employment-generating. The government’s next major target is getting the telecom bill passed in the upcoming monsoon session of the parliament. As per the minister, the bill will lead to a major series of reforms in terms of spectrums, licences and regulation.
Speaking about the progress on the manufacturing front, Vaishnaw said that the first eNodeB, which was designed and made in India, was installed in Chandigarh. He added that 99 per cent of phones are made in India, and that mobile phone exports from the country this year are going to exceed $10 billion. In the coming years, the country will see exponential growth in electronics and telecom manufacturing.
