5G in India : When 5G was launched in India in 2022, hardly anyone would have thought that it would expand so fast across the country. But now the government claims that at present 5G network has reached 773 out of 776 districts of the country. This figure is quite big in itself, is 5G connectivity really available in every district, including Lakshadweep.
According to the government, major telecom operators have extended 5G infrastructure to almost all the districts of the country. That is, at least one tower or coverage area is active there. This does not mean that high-speed internet is running in every village or town, but this facility is mostly limited to the district headquarters or urban areas.
Government initiatives for expansion of 5G services
- Spectrum auction for 5G mobile services.
- Reform on Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR), Bank Guarantee (BG) and interest rates.
- Removal of Spectrum Usage Charges (SUC) in spectrum auctions of 2022 and beyond.
- Simplifying the process of SACFA (Standing Advisory Committee on Radio Frequency Allocations) clearance.
- Faster approval process for telecom infrastructure by implementing PM Gatishakti communication portal and RoW (Right of Way) rules.
- Implementing time-bound process for permission to use street furniture for small cells and telecom lines.
Benefits of 5G
- Where the network is working properly, the speed is getting from 500Mbps to 800Mbps, which is many times better than 4G. Its advantages:
- No buffer in HD video streaming
- Rapid file download and low latency in gaming
- Improvement in online classes, video calling and cloud work
- Apart from this, the use of 5G is also increasing in government services like AI, IoT, smart healthcare and exam invigilation.
Future plan
The next target of the government is to provide 5G to every village and town by 2025. For this, there is a plan to connect projects like Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) and BharatNet with 5G.