Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (October 1) launched the 5G telephony services in the country, ushering in an era of ultra high-speed internet on mobile phones. The PM launched 5G services in select cities at the 6th edition of the IMC 2022 conference being held from October 1-4.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches the #5GServices in the country, at Indian Mobile Congress (IMC) 2022 in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/uJo2ovkrcr
— ANI (@ANI) October 1, 2022
The services will progressively cover the entire country over the next couple of years. Capable of supporting ultra-high-speed internet, the fifth generation or 5G service is expected to unleash new economic opportunities and societal benefits, serving as a transformational force for Indian society.
After the launch, all the three major telecom operators demonstrated one use case to show the potential of 5G technology in India.
At the IMC 2022 exhibition, the PM went around pavilions set up by different telecom operators and technology providers to get a first-hand experience of what 5G can do.
He started with Reliance Jio’s stalls where he witnessed the True 5G devices displayed and experienced the use case through Jio Glass.
Also Read: Modi to launch 5G services on October 1 in select cities
Flanked by Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and billionaires Mukesh Ambani of Reliance, Sunil Bharti Mittal of Bharti Airtel and Kumar Mangalam Birla of Vodafone Idea, he spent time understanding the indigenous development of end-to-end 5G technology.
He thereafter visited stalls of Airtel, Vodafone Idea, C-DOT and others.
Indian Mobile Congress (IMC)
The India Mobile Congress (IMC) is jointly organised by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI). IMC claims to be the largest telecom, media and technology forum in Asia.
Advantages of 5G
The 5G technology powers ultra-low latency connections which allow downloading full-length high-quality video or movie to a mobile device in a matter of seconds (even in crowded areas).
Also Read: Odisha to get 5G in first phase of launch, says Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw
5G can also enable solutions such as e-health, connected vehicles, more-immersive augmented reality and metaverse experiences, life-saving use cases, and advanced mobile cloud gaming, among others.
5G services will be available in 13 Indian cities after Diwali.
Jio to deliver 5G across India by December 2023: Mukesh Ambani
Reliance Jio, the nation’s biggest telecom firm, will expand 5G telephony services offering ultra-high-speed internet connectivity to every part of the country by December 2023, its chairman Mukesh Ambani said on Saturday (October 1).
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Ambani has promised affordable 5G services. “Today, I want to reiterate Jio’s commitment to deliver 5G to every town, every taluka and every tehsil of our country by December 2023,” he said at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) conference in New Delhi.
Ambani had at his flagship Reliance Industries Ltd.’s annual shareholder meeting in August announced the rollout of 5G services from four metro cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata by Diwali.
Most of Jio’s 5G is developed in India and hence carries the stamp of Atmanirbhar Bharat, he said, adding that 5G and 5G-enabled digital solutions can bring affordable and high-quality education and skill development within the reach of common Indians.
It can deliver high-quality healthcare to rural and remote areas by turning existing hospitals into smart hospitals without much additional investment, making the services of the best doctors digitally available anywhere in India as well as improving the speed and accuracy of diagnostics and enabling real-time clinical decision making.
Also Read: 5G coupled with blockchain technology can open a whole new world
5G can also bridge the gap between urban and rural India by accelerating digitisation and intelligent data management of agriculture, services, trade, industry, informal sector, transportation and energy infrastructure, he said.
With 5G, India will take longer and faster strides towards Sab Ka Digital Saath and Sab Ka Digital Vikas, he said. “India may have started a little late, but will finish first by rolling out 5G services that are of higher quality and more affordable than anywhere else in the world.”
Ambani said 5G is much more than just the next generation of connectivity technology, offering foundational technology that unlocks the full potential of other transformative technologies like artificial intelligence, internet of things, robotics, blockchain and metaverse.
(With inputs from agencies)