How Will 5G Benefit India And How Long Do We Wait?

5G connectivity will undoubtedly change the way people communicate. The next-gen technology will bring unprecedented speeds and low latency that were previously seen only on optical fiber broadband alongside offering seamless connectivity to other devices as well.

Speaking of countries like the US, the 5G rollout has witnessed a rough start, as network carriers were forced to share airwaves with older 4G/LTE technologies. Will the 5G rollout in India suffer the same fate?

 

Current State Of 5G In India

Recently, Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved a proposal for auctioning the 5G spectrum in the country. A total of 72097.85 MHz of spectrum with 20-year validity will be auctioned by the end of July 2022.

Leading telecom players including Reliance Industries (RIL) Jio, Bharti Airtel Ltd, and Vodafone Idea (Vi) are expected to take part in the auction. Besides, the bidders will be allowed to surrender the spectrum after a decade without any future liabilities.

How Will India Benefit From 5G?

5G comes with a plethora of potential applications that can hugely benefit users in India. Apart from high-speed surfing and better connectivity, the new technology can enhance the accessibility of services like healthcare and mobile banking, and bring new opportunities for underemployed or unemployed people in the country.

Not just that, with the advent of 5G, we can witness existing cities transforming into smart cities. It could also empower citizens and businesses to grow immensely. In the future, 5G could also enable citizens to take advantage of socio-economic benefits thanks to an advanced digital economy. Let’s understand what other benefits 5G will bring to India.

Healthcare Benefits Of 5G In India

5G networks will come in handy for medical practitioners in performing advanced medical procedures remotely, thanks to seamless connectivity. Doctors will be able to connect with patients regardless of their location and also enable surgeons to perform remote surgeries. Besides, smart medical devices such as wearables can quickly share a patient’s condition in case of an emergency.

5G Benefits For IoT Sector

The new technology will also upgrade the Internet of things (IoT). Advanced 5G routers will be able to bridge a 5G wireless network for smart devices and appliances in a household. It could also prove very helpful in remote monitoring, smart agriculture, industrial automation, and telehealth areas. With the help of smart RFID sensors and GPS, farmers can track and manage livestock.

5G Hurdles In India

While 5G connectivity promises to curb issues, there are several hiccups its rollout could face in India. First and foremost are the finance liabilities; switching from 4G to 5G could come at a high cost for consumers. Besides, the lack of funds and huge debts of telecom operators are adding to the delay.

Besides, India is already late in adopting the new technology, meaning the revenue generated from the service might not be as expected. Moreover, the rollout of 5G won’t bridge the digital divide in urban and rural parts of the country. 

The current networks in the country are plagued by call drops and data interruptions, making it further difficult to bring a new network for the users. It makes it imperative for India to fix existing 4G networks before deploying 5G services. 

So, to make widespread adoption of 5G in India possible, the technology must become financially viable for the consumers and the network carriers.