In India, we come across all generations of telecom services — from 2G which is essentially voice communication to 4G. The ecosystem of 22 telecom circles is vastly different. The arrival of 5G is a big event. It focuses on rural connectivity. It offers data usage capacity that is multiple times that of 4G. In 5G, radio signals are driven into narrow beams, each serving an individual customer. In 4G a single radio beam serves all the customers located around a base station. The efficiency of each band of spectrum multiplies several fold. In India, there is a problem of telecom architecture — there is limited reach of broadband data services. 5G will address this.

5G networks will also drive OTT and linear TV content. The regulations governing these services must be harmonised with new standards. There are three major telecom operators — JiO, AirTel and Vodafone. These could make investments in 5G and can reap the benefits. The services can be used by e-commerce companies to prosper their business.

The average spectrum assigned to an individual operator in India is low. The telecom operators have to cater to a large number of mobile users in a given area. The system gets stretched. The speeds of downloads are, therefore, low as compared to the rest of the world. The operators are seeking large chunks of spectrum to make their 5G services viable. The reserve prices of 5G spectrum must be appropriate. The consortium of IITs have developed a domestic 5G Test Bed to provide a cost effective test environment.