5G launch in India will happen soon, speed will be 10 times faster than 4G: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched up on various tech developments, including the 5G rollout in India, during his Independence Day speech on Monday. As highlighted by PTI, the PM said that the 5G mobile network, "which holds the promise of offering 10 times faster speeds and lag-free connectivity", will soon arrive in the country. He also emphasised the government's vision to push for electronic chips and expand the optical fibre cable (OFC) network across villages to enable "digital entrepreneurship". He views the current decade as "techade" for India.

During the Independence Day celebration at Red Fort, New Delhi, PM Modi said that India is stepping towards the era of 5G. He added, "[We] won't have to wait for long. We are taking optical fibre to every village. I have full knowledge that the dream of Digital India will pass through villages."

PM Modi's words on 5G come days after the DoT (Department of Telecommunications) under the Ministry of Communications concluded India's largest 5G spectrum auction. The auction was participated by four big tech players - Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vi, and Adani Networks. The government sold 5G bands worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore.

Earlier this month, Airtel claimed it will start rolling out 5G in India in August. Reliance Jio chairperson Akash Ambani also hinted at the same, but more details are awaited. The Adani Group, on the other hand, will build private 5G networks for enterprises and will not build a network for regular customers - yet. Vi is yet to offer more details.

Apart from faster internet speeds for media consumption, 5G will enable solutions such as e-health, connected vehicles, more-immersive augmented reality, metaverse experiences, life-saving use cases, and advanced mobile cloud gaming, among others. It will also offer a boost to the government's CSC (common service centres) scheme.

PM Modi also lauded the development of four lakh common service centres in the rural areas. This government scheme aims to accelerate the Digital India vision. The government explains it as an access point for the delivery of essential services to help digital entrepreneurs grow in the country.