India Set to Take the Lead in the Global 6G Race: COAI
Click to start listening
New Delhi, Dec 23 (NationPress) India is set to take the lead in the global race towards 6G, presenting a remarkable opportunity to spearhead technological advancements, according to the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) on Monday.
Through initiatives like the Bharat 6G vision, the government aims to generate 10 percent of 6G patents from India while assessing 470 proposals for 'Accelerated research on 6G Ecosystem'.
The swift advancement in digital innovations within telecom is reflected in the significant adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and GenAI technologies across various sectors, including customer service, operational support, network optimization, automation, predictive maintenance, and fraud prevention,” stated Lt Gen Dr SP Kochhar, Director General of COAI.
A recent report by KPMG India revealed that 55 percent of organizations within the technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT) sectors have fully embraced AI, while 37 percent are in the process of scaling.
COAI highlighted that with a robust 1.2 billion telecom subscriber base, the average monthly data consumption per wireless subscriber has reached 21.30 GB as of October this year.
“As of October, more than 460,592 5G BTS sites have been established, resulting in a substantial increase in the 5G user base, which has surpassed 125 million and is projected to hit 350 million by 2026,” Kochhar added.
Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) has emerged as a significant 5G application in India, with connections approaching 3 million within the first year of its launch. As a pivotal contributor to the GDP, the sector has generated job opportunities for over 4 million people, both directly and indirectly.
The global organization GSMA estimates that 2 GHz of mid-band spectrum will be essential to accommodate the anticipated traffic growth in 5G across India.
“As 6 GHz is the last available mid-band spectrum that can facilitate city-wide coverage with mobile networks, it is imperative that this band be designated for IMT. Furthermore, there is a rising concern regarding Wi-Fi 6E wireless routers operating on the 6 GHz band being illegally sold through e-commerce platforms to consumers in India, despite the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) yet to make a decision on its usage,” stated COAI.
