India’s 5G preparedness: A daunting task ahead

At an undisclosed race track in South Korea, two specially-equipped BMW sedans raced past each other at speeds exceeding 160 km/hr. This was part of a test conducted by Ericsson, one of the prime providers of 5G technology, which has data speed at 100 times of 4G. The cars are capable of taking u-turns at high speeds even while being unmanned. Data relayed from these vehicles at a speed of 3.2 Gbps over every 1/100 of a second, via a 5G connection, allows these self-driven cars to drive safely even at racing speeds.

Autonomous cars are just one of the many applications of 5G data services. India does not want to be left behind in the Internet of Things (IoT) race either—a technology that comes hand-in-hand with 5G data speeds. While 2G, 3G and 4G had been about phone devices connectivity, with 5G, it could me about connectivity of an entire city.

The prospects of the new technology are so promising that it can transform not just telecom sector but also agriculture, health services, traffic management, and management of civic amenities among others. With a number of smart cities on the anvil, the Narendra Modi administration seek one more achievement to compliment it—the launch of 5G in India.

Which is why the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recently formalised the auction rules and spectrum prices for the 5G band, much ahead of its deadline to do so. A feat that the TRAI Chairman R.S. Sharma termed “a necessary and timely step” by the telecom regulator to kick-start 5G rollout in the country.

However, in 2016, the government efforts to auction 5G spectrum bands received a tepid response from telecom service providers (TSPs). Consequently, in the new TRAI recommendations for 5G spectrum auction, the price of the spectrum has been drastically reduced from the 2016 auction base rates. Also, with equipment, manufacturers are now aiming India as a prime market and are seeking benefits of scale in 5G technology rollout. Though a date is yet to be formally announced, the next spectrum auction for 5G is likely to be held well before March 2019, before the next Parliamentary polls.

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