Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated on Wednesday that India is quickly moving from being a user to a major exporter of telecom technology.
Mr. Modi stated to attendees after inaugurating the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Regional Office and Innovation Centre here that India is one of the countries that has accelerated the deployment of 5G mobile technology.
He said that the services have been spread to 125 cities within 120 days of the 5G launch.
“Within 6 months of the rollout of 5G technology we are talking about 6G,” Modi remarked. This, he claims, demonstrates the country's confidence.
“Before 4G, India was only a user of telecom technology, but now India is moving fast to become a big exporter of telecom technology,” he remarked.
Modi also stated that India will establish 100 new 5G laboratories in the coming days.
“These labs will help in developing 5G applications as per the unique needs of India,” he added.
The prime minister said that this decade is 'Techade,' emphasising that India's telecom and digital model is smooth, secure, transparent, and trusted.
While discussing India's telecom success story, Modi stated that the number of internet users has gone from 25 crore in 2014 to 85 crore now, with the majority living in rural regions.
He further stated that during the previous nine years, the government and private sector had laid over 25 lakh kilometres of optical fibre.
Modi also launched the 6G R&D Test Bed and released the Bharat 6G Vision Document.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations' specialised organisation for information and communication technologies (ICTs).
It is headquartered in Geneva and operates through a network of field offices, regional offices, and area offices.
In March 2022, India signed a Host Country Agreement with ITU to build an area office.
The area office in India is also expected to have an Innovation Center, making it unique among ITU area offices.
The new area office is located on the second level of the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT) building in Mehrauli, New Delhi, and is wholly funded by India.
According to a statement, it would serve India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Afghanistan, and Iran, improving regional coordination and creating mutually beneficial economic cooperation.
The Technological Innovation Group on 6G (TIG-6G) was formed in November 2021 with representatives from various ministries/departments, research and development organisations, academics, standards agencies, telecom service providers, and industry to produce a road map and action plans for 6G in India.
In addition, the prime minister launched the ‘Call before u dig’ mobile app.
Important News and Blog Tags for Readers
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Deployment of 5G mobile technology
India's telecom and digital model
India's telecom success story
Bharat 6G Vision Document
Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT)
Prime minister launched the ‘Call before u dig’ mobile app