New Delih (TIP)- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, October 27, praised the rollout of 5G telecom networks in the country and the progress of the technology sector, calling them crucial for India’s transition to a developed economy. Modi, speaking at the India Mobile Congress with several industry leaders in attendance, launched the government’s 5G Use Case Labs for educational institutes, which will help drive innovation in 5G-based applications for domains such as agriculture, education and health. “Internet connectivity and improvement in speeds also improves ease of living. When internet speed increases, a student connects with a teacher, a patient connect with a doctor, and farmers learn new techniques to improve their productivity,” he said, linking connectivity to improvements in “social and economic well-being”. “India is not only expanding the 5G network in the country but also laying emphasis on becoming a leader in 6G,” Modi added. The PM said that in the year since the first 5G, or fifth generation, mobile communications were rolled out, 97% of the cities and 80% of the population has been covered. “But we did not stop at that success, and we began to work on making sure every citizen had access to it. From roll-out, we went to the reach-out stage.”
This, he added, tied into the government’s focus on “democratising every sector”. “We believe in democratising every sector, and we are working to ensure that the benefits of technology reach everyone. For me, that is the greatest social justice.”
At IMC, Modi launched the labs first announced in the Union Budget presented by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman this year.
The telecommunications department has set up the labs for which the government will provide 80% of the capital expenditure and 100% of operational expenses for the next four years. Institutions, including the Indian Institutes of Technology, Indian Institutes of Information Technology, National Institutes of Technology, and other selected higher education institutions, will foot 20% of capital expenditure for the labs.
Each lab will have at least 10 faculty members and 50 students and at least five start-ups or Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises will be engaged with each to test or develop solutions. Each lab must develop or test at least 10 products or solutions annually.
All the labs are expected to be fully functional by March 2024, an official said on the condition of anonymity. In his address, Modi said India is among the world’s top three start-up ecosystems and the second largest mobile phone manufacturer. “Our electronics exports are upwards of Rs 2 lakh crore now,” said Modi. Modi also spoke about cybersecurity and said threats to it were discussed during the G20 summit in New Delhi in September. “If our entire value chain resides within India, it will be easier to secure it.”