Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated India’s 6G mission. It aims to focus on next generation technology initiatives in India and work on an official 6G testbed project. This will enable research on the technology of the upcoming new network.
Government has launched the India 6G project, Apex Council has been appointed to oversee it. India is the second largest telecom market in the world with 1.2 billion digital subscribers.
Addressing the program, Modi said that in the last 9 years, India has made unprecedented development in the digital sector and India’s digital economy has grown 2.5 times faster than the national economy.
Modi also launched the ‘Call Before You Dig’ (CBUD) app, through which excavation agencies and underground utility owners can coordinate and avoid loss of utilities during excavation.
He said, “The number of broadband subscribers has increased from 6 crore to 80 crore during this period. Internet connection has increased from 25 crore to 85 crore. The government and the private sector together have laid 2.5 million kilometers of optical fibre.
Modi emphasized that India is currently the world’s most connected democracy, with 70 million e-identifications happening daily and 800 million UPI transactions every month. He said that India has sent Rs 28 lakh crore to its citizens through direct cash transfers.
6G supply chain
In November 2021, the government constituted a 22-member innovation group under the leadership of Telecom Secretary K Rajaraman to prepare a vision document for the 6G roadmap in India.
The opening of 6G airwaves is a part of the Indian government’s efforts to gain a key position in creating a supply chain for emerging technologies such as terrestrial communication gear and components.
The new 6G testbed is being developed by a consortium of several Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) in India, including Guwahati and Madras IITs.
The project will provide a R&D platform to startups, researchers, industry and other broadband wireless applications, including e-governance, smart cities, rural broadband or other Digital India initiatives under Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said that within a few months, India’s 5G allocation has reached a few hundred cities. The average period for permission to set up telecom towers has come down from 222 days to just 7 days.
The Prime Minister said that 5G technology has reached 125 cities and 350 districts and India is emerging as a hub for exports of telecom equipment, including 5G technology.
New ITU Office
Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the new ‘Regional Office and Innovation Center’ of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
ITU is the United Nations specialized agency for Information and Communications Technology (ITC). The next World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly of ITU will be held in India next year.
ITU Secretary General Doreen Bogdan Martin said that the new office will help ITU coordinate with India and other countries in the region.
Bogdan Martin said that India is a role model of digital revolution. This innovation center will be one of the best in the world for cutting edge innovation.
