India ready to launch 5G network services at par with global timeline: Manoj Sinha

The government will make sure that there is no spectrum shortage so that India does not lag behind the rest of the world in launching 5G services in the country, Union Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha said on Friday.

According to Sinha, the new telecom policy would be suitably aligned to ensure India is 5G ready and in sync with the world's top telecom markets after lagging on both 3G and 4G network services, Economic Times reported.

The Centre now wants to draw level with the rest of the world on 5G, which is a next-generation mobile technology that is expected to have a higher demand once introduced.

According to Economic Times, the government has already approved 5G technologies testbed that will be anchored by IIT Chennai as India seeks to take part in development as well as local manufacturing of the 5G devices.

The 5G testbed will be operational in six months and also will be an important enabler for standards and devices needed for 5G rollout and usage according to the Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundarajan.

The government in September also laid down a roadmap for the rollout of 5G mobile networks in India by 2020. This will make wireless connections extremely fast besides making room for the proliferation of Internet-connected smart devices.

5G networks assure more speed and can serve a higher density of broadband users and are optimised for the Internet of Things (IoT), which refers to everyday objects becoming intelligent with the ability to send and receive data.

"We have created a high-level 5G committee that will work on the vision, mission and goals of 5G," said Sinha.

At a time when the country is witnessing a spurt in data consumption, it is important for the government to maintain the push for it. India is one of the world's largest markets for telecom services and should not be left behind when the world shifts to 5G.

Even global telecom equipment makers are all also set to grab this opportunity and are ready to launch products for 5G-enabled devices.

Reports also suggest that Huawei has partnered with Bharti Airtel Ltd to launch the country's first to launch 5G phones and infrastructure in India when the network is up and running.

"The 5G era is approaching, and we are confident that 5G deployment in India will happen in line with the global timeline," said Jay Chen, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Huawei India.