Government to start 5G test bed in six months, roll out technology by 2020

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has framed a plan for testing 5G technology in India. The test-bed is expected to be operational within the next six months, according to The Indian Express report.

The report added that the 5G technology will be anchored by the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.

DoT has sought an amount of Rs 35 crore, for the same, in the second batch of supplementary demands for grants for 2017-18.

Besides, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is also laying the ground for companies wanting to conduct research for the next phase of mobile technology.

The regulator has also issued a set of recommendations to the Centre as a part of the suggestions on the ease of doing business in the country.

In the report, a DoT official was quoted as saying, “We need to have an ecosystem in India itself, which is simple so that experiments can be conducted. We should have sand-boxing, and licensing for experimentation on 5G technology here. For experiment purposes, we should have a light-touch system, where if some company wants to do research, it should be able to get a license to do so.”

Centre has already set up a high-level forum comprising officials from the DoT, the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, and the Department of Science & Technology, with representatives from industry and academia to accelerate the process of research and development of technologies as well as standards pertaining to 5G.

The central government seems to be equally determined about introducing 5G technology in the country.

In September this year, it founded a high-level forum comprising officials from various relevant departments -- the DoT, the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, and the Department of Science & Technology, among others -- to evaluate and approve roadmaps and action plans with a broader target of rolling out 5G in India by 2020.

As per a presentation prepared by the DoT, the targets set for the forum suggest that local manufacturers should be able to capture 50 per cent of the Indian market and 10 per cent of global market over next five to seven years.