Indigenously developed 5G network almost ready for rollout: Ashwini Vaishnaw

India’s fifth-generation or 5G network is in its final stages of development and will be ready for a rollout this year, reported ANI quoting Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw.  

Vaishnaw announced this during his address at “India Telecom 2022” business expo organised by the Telecom Equipment and Services Export Promotion Council (TEPC).   

5G is the fifth-generation standard for wireless communications technologies supporting cellular data networks. 

“The country has also developed its own indigenously developed 4G core & radio network. The 5G network is also in its final stages of development. The country is participating today in development of 6G standards, in the thought process of 6G,” Vaishnaw said in his inaugural address at the ‘India Telecom 2022’ international business expo.   

The Communications Minster’s announcement comes close on the heels of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s announcement while presenting the Budget 2022 that the much-awaited spectrum auctions would be carried out in the coming months in order to facilitate the rollout of 5G services by telecom operators in 2022.   

She had also announced that the government is drawing a blueprint to roll out a scheme for ‘design-led manufacturing’ that will help to build a robust ecosystem for 5G as part of the production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes.  

Meanwhile, Vaishnaw also mentioned that the central government is anticipating that the telecom regular Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will be releasing its recommendations on crucial aspects of the 5G spectrum auctions by March 2022 , following which the sale of airwaves will carried to facilitate 5G services rollout in 2022-23.  

He has also affirmed that India is emerging as a major electronics manufacturing hub, with the sector manufacturing of close to $75 billion and is growing at a CAGR of 20%.