5G in India

5G is the fifth-generation technology standard for broadband cellular networks, which cellular phone operators began building globally in 2019, and is the expected replacement to the 4G networks that connect most existing cell phones. According to the GSM Association, 5G networks would have more than 1.7 billion members worldwide by 2025.

5G networks, like their predecessors, are cellular networks with service areas separated into small geographic units called cells.The local antenna of a cell uses radio waves to connect all of the cell’s 5G wireless devices to the Internet and telephone network.The new networks offer faster download rates, up to 10 gigabits per second (Gbit/s) in the future.

5G Networks

The millimetre-wave spectrum (30-300 GHz) will be used for the 5G network, which can transfer massive volumes of data at very high speeds due to the high frequency and low interference from neighbouring signals.

Mobile broadband networks using long-term evolution (LTE) have been upgraded to 5G.

Internet rates of up to 20 Gbps have been tested in the 5G high-band spectrum (gigabits per second).

5G mostly operates in three bands:

• Low Band Spectrum – low band spectrum has strong coverage and internet and data transfer speeds, however the maximum speed is only 100 Mbps (Megabits per second).
• Mid-band spectrum: It has better speeds than low-band spectrum, but it has restrictions in terms of coverage area and signal penetration.
• High-band spectrum: It has the quickest speed of all three bands, however its signal penetration and coverage are severely limited.

Global scenario

Commercial 5G networks are estimated to achieve 12% of global mobile connections (1.1 billion) and produce revenues of up to US$1.3 trillion for operators by 2025.

In the United States, 5G has been installed in 50 cities.

South Korea has completed the rollout of 5G in 85 cities.

Trials of 5G mobile services have begun in Japan and China.

Is India prepared to make the 5G leap

The Department of Telecom (DoT) has declared that 13 Indian cities will have 5G services by 2022. These cities include Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Gurugram, Chandigarh, Bangalore, Ahmadabad, Jamnagar, Hyderabad, Pune, Lucknow, and Gandhinagar.

5G’s Benefits for India

When integrated with artificial intelligence, the new generation mobile network has the ability to bring a wide range of benefits to the Indian economy, giving a new face to a connected and autonomous system.

5G networks might make services like mobile banking and healthcare more accessible, as well as expand the number of job chances for the unemployed and underemployed.

Policymakers in India have the ability to educate and empower individuals and businesses, as well as turn current cities into smart and creative cities.

Benefits to Residents and Communities: A well-developed, more data-intensive, digital economy may be able to provide citizens and communities with socio-economic benefits and comforts.

• Enhanced outdoor and indoor internet, the Internet of things (IoT), smart cities and smart agriculture, energy monitoring, remote monitoring, smart grids, telemedicine, industrial automation, and remote patient monitoring are just a few of the areas where 5G could be applied in India.
• In the future, 5G technology could be applied in agricultural and smart farming. With advanced RFID sensors and GPS technologies, farmers can easily track and control their cattle.
• With a reliable wireless network connected to the other side of the world, medical practitioners will be able to execute advanced medical treatments. Doctors can communicate with patients at any time and from any location, providing advice as needed. Scientists are developing smart medical equipment that can do surgery remotely. Wearable medical gadgets will continuously monitor a patient’s condition and send out alerts in the event of an emergency.

Issues With 5g Deployment

Critical infrastructures: 5G will need a considerable change in the basic design of the communication system. Because 5G’s fundamental flaw is its inability to transport data over longer distances, current infrastructure must be reinforced.

• Financial liability – To shift from 4G to 5G technology, one must upgrade to the most recent cellular technology, putting consumers in a financial bind.
• Capital inadequacy – Lack of appropriate money with suitable telecom companies (such as Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea) is delaying the allocation of 5G spectrum.
• Late adoption – Countries in the Asia-Pacific area, such as India, Bangladesh, and Indonesia, have been slow to adopt 5G technology, and as a result, revenue from the service may be reduced.
• Government subsidies – Government subsidies are unlikely because governments have a history of setting high reserve prices for spectrum auctions in the face of continuous economic deficits.
• Digital divide – In the medium term, 5G will not bridge the digital divide between rural and urban areas; in fact, it may widen it.
• Niche service – 5G will be a specialty service, as opposed to 3G and 4G, which were distributed services. It will become more intense over a longer length of time and more focused on specific industries.
• Previous technology – Consumers are still dealing with basic network difficulties such as call dropouts and data service interruptions, thanks to previous technology. 4G networks continue to create frequent internet service outages.
• Interference – Concerns have been raised about the possibility of 5G mobile service interfering with aeroplane navigation systems. In January 2022, Air India cancelled eight flights on US routes.

Conclusion

5G trials are already underway in India, utilising both foreign and local technologies. Despite the fact that this phase was supposed to end in November 2021, telcos have been given an extension until May 2022, specifically to perform testing in rural India.Early adoption of 5G will help India capitalise on current initiatives such as Digital India and Startup India to become a leader in the 4th Industrial Revolution, which will be fueled by improved digital connectivity and a more diverse market, which will help the country overcome issues such as poverty, unemployment, and increased presence in the global supply chain.