Delhi: Ushering in a new technological era, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi launched 5G services in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi on Saturday. The Prime Minister also inaugurated the sixth edition of the India Mobile Congress and also witnessed the IMC Exhibition that was put on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering Prime Minister said that the summit today might be global but its repercussions and directions are local. He said today is a special day for the fast-developing India of the 21st century.
“Today, 130 crore Indians are getting a wonderful gift in the form of 5G from the country and from the telecom industry of the country. 5G is a knock on the doors of a new era in the country. “5G is the beginning of an infinite sky of opportunities. I congratulate every Indian for this.”, he added.
He noted with satisfaction that in this launch of 5G and the march of technology, rural areas and workers are equal partners. Stressing one more message of the 5G launch, the Prime Minister said” New India will not remain a mere consumer of technology, but India will play an active role in the development and implementation of that technology.
”The Prime Minister pointed out that India was dependent on other countries for 2G, 3G and 4G technologies. But with 5G, India has created a new history. “With 5G, India is setting a global standard in telecom technology for the first time”, he remarked.
Talking about Digital India, the Prime Minister said that some people think that this is just a government scheme. “But Digital India is not just a name, it is a big vision for the development of the country. The goal of this vision is to bring that technology to the common people, which works for the people, works by connecting with the people.”
The Prime Minister said that the cost of data is among the lowest in the world. It has come down from 300 rupees per GB to about 10 rupees per GB. Remarking on the consumer-centric focussed efforts of the government, the Prime Minister said that the cost of data in India has remained very low due.
The Prime Minister interjected, “It is a different matter that we did not make a fuss about, and did not launch big advertisements. We focused on how the convenience and Ease of Living of the people of the country increased.” “India may not have benefitted from the first three industrial revolutions, but I am confident that India will take full benefit of the 4th industrial revolution and, in fact, will lead it”, he added.
The Prime Minister informed that the use of 5G technology will not be limited to speedy internet access, but it has the capability to change lives. He said that we will see the promises of the technology realized in our lifetimes. Modi urged the leaders of the telecom industry association to visit the schools and colleges of the country and unleash every aspect of this new technology.
He also asked them to create an enabling ecosystem for MSMEs to prepare spare parts for electronic manufacturing. “5G technology should be used to bring about a revolution in the country”, he remarked. The Prime Minister highlighted the use of drone technology that has been made possible after the newly launched Drone Policy.
He pointed out that many farmers have learnt how to fly drones and started making use of them to spray insecticides and pesticides in the fields. The Prime Minister assured one and all that India of the future will guide the world in the upcoming technology sector, in turn making India a global leader.
Union Minister of Communications, Ashvini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of State for Communications, Devusinh Chauhan, Chairman of Reliance Industries, Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, Sunil Mittal, Chairman of Aditya Birla Group, Kumar Mangalam Birla and Secretary, Department of Telecommunications, K Rajaraman were those present on the occasion.
Industry reacts on this historic occasion
Reliance
Mukesh Ambani, Chairman, Reliance, thanked the Prime Minister for inspiring the vision of a developed nation by 2047. “Every action and policy of the government is skillfully crafted to propel India, towards that goal. Steps taken to fast-track India’s march into the 5G era provide compelling proof of our Prime Minister’s determination”, he said.
He narrated the possibilities of 5G in key areas like education, education and climate etc. “Your leadership has raised India’s prestige, profile and power globally like never before. In today’s fast-changing world there will be no stopping a resurgent India from soaring to the top”, Ambani concluded.
Bharti Enterprise
Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman, Bharti Enterprise remarked that the launch of 5G is the beginning of a new era and since it is happening during Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, it makes it even more special. “With the efforts of the Prime Minister, this will usher new energy in the country.
We are fortunate to have a leader in the Prime Minister who understands technology very minutely and deployed that to the development of the country in an unmatched manner”, he added.
Mittal further said that it will open up a sea of opportunities for people, especially in our rural areas. He recalled the Prime Minister’s initiatives in the field of infrastructure and technology from his Gujarat CM days. He said that during the pandemic, traffic shifted to villages and homes and the country’s heartbeat did not stop even for a second.
Credit for that goes to the digital vision. He also praised the audacity and achievement of the vision of Make in India.“Along with Digital India, the Prime Minister also took forward the Start-up India campaign and soon enough, India started producing unicorns”, Mittal added, “With the advent of 5G, I’m sure that the country will add many more unicorns in the world.”
Aditya Birla Group
Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group called the advent of 5G a transformational event that proves India’s prowess on the global stage and reiterates the role of telecom technology as the bedrock of India’s growth.
He thanked the Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his vision and leadership for a generational leap in technology that has resulted in India making a mark on the global stage. He also thanked the Prime Minister for his inspirational role in supporting the telecom industry during the ongoing pandemic and for the path-breaking telecom reforms in the industry.
Birla said that the launch of 5G marks the beginning of an exciting journey for India. “We will see limitless potential for 5G development and use cases in the years to come”, he added.
The three major telecom operators of the country demonstrated one use case each in front of the Prime Minister to show the potential of 5G technology in India.
Benefits of 5G technology
5G technology will offer a wide range of benefits to the common people. It will help in providing seamless coverage, high data rate, low latency, and highly reliable communications. Also, It will increase energy efficiency, spectrum efficiency and network efficiency.
5G technology will help in connecting billions of Internet of Things devices, will allow higher quality video services with mobility at high speed, and delivery of critical services such as telesurgery and autonomous cars among others. 5G will help in real-time monitoring of disasters, precision agriculture, and minimising the role of humans in dangerous industrial operations such as in deep mines, offshore activities etc.
Unlike existing mobile communication networks, 5G networks will allow tailoring of requirements for each of these different use cases within the same network.
The IMC 2022 is scheduled to be held from 1st to 4th October with the theme of “New digital Universe”. It will bring together leading thinkers, entrepreneurs, innovators, and government officials to discuss and showcase unique opportunities emerging from the rapid adoption and spread of digital technology.
