Dr P.D. Vaghela, Chairman, TRAI
The telecom sector is one of the fastest evolving sectors in the world. With the advent of new technologies and technological advancements, things keep getting better. Remote communication has changed a lot from the past. At one time, telecom services were seen mainly as a way of voice communication. Now voice, data, multimedia, over-the-top content, applications, e-commerce and a host of other services are running on the telecom network. Telecom connectivity has become the most essential service for the overall growth of the country, with the telecom sector playing a major role in the success of Digital India.
India’s telecom service providers have left no stone unturned to provide world-class services at some of the lowest prices in the world. Today, India has the largest mobile data user base in the world. As of August 2020, there were close to 1.14 million mobile connections in the country. The average data usage per subscriber has risen to more than 12 GB per month.
5G is going to be a game changer, as it will provide seamless coverage, high data rates, low latency for low-rate, high density internet of things (IoT) applications and highly reliable communications for mission-critical applications. 5G also promises a range of new services to consumers and enterprises beyond traditional voice and data by enabling technology such as IoT, artificial intelligence, robotic process automation, augmented reality, virtual reality, and a host of emerging applications. The new technologies are giving rise to use cases such as smart cities, smart manufacturing, smart agriculture, remote medical consultations, industrial automation, and new types of interactive consumer entertainment across industry verticals. 5G will also increase energy efficiency, spectrum efficiency, and network efficiency. Unlike existing mobile communication networks, 5G networks will allow the tailoring of requirements for each of these different use cases within the same network. These models are aimed at harnessing the power of technology to generate value for all stakeholders in the mix.
A defining capability of 5G is that it is designed for forward compatibility. It will support future services, accelerating them on an unprecedented growth trajectory. Thus, 5G will be used not only in the telecom sector, but in all lhe other sectors. This will also help in reducing the urban-rural digital gap.
5G is predicted to create a cumulative economic impact of $1 trillion in India by 2035. It is estimated that the 5G-enabled digitalisation revenue potential in India will be about $27 billion by 2026. To reap the benefits of 5G, the country’s policies, and licensing and regulatory environment need to evolve accordingly. TRAI is whole-heartedly working in this direction. We are working on policies to position India as a global destination for manufacturing and technology products.
The Department of Telecommunications and the Telecommunications Standard Development Society of India, in collaboration with the Indian Institutes of Technology, have been successful in getting a low, mobility, large cell use case accepted in the International Mobile Telecommunication 2020 requirements. I hope this will help in enhancing 5G technology’s role in bridging the rural divide in the country.
TRAI has already recommended that infrastructure providers that are currently allowed to own passive infrastructure should be permitted to establish and share active infrastructure elements as well. This move will be vital for the roll-out of 5G in the country.
I believe that the aim of regulation is to specify measures that create a check against practices that adversely affect the rights of consumers, block new entries and make it difficult for players to compete effectively. Beyond that, any kind of regulation may block development, investment and innovation in the sector.
To boost innovation in the digital sector, encouraging research and development in the fields of telecom and emerging technologies is crucial. Digital inclusiveness is very important if we want all sections of society to reap the benefits of growth and development. India is trying to achieve this goal by connecting nearly 600,000 villages with optical fibre through the BharatNet project.
