October 1, 2022 marked an important event in India’s technology history as the country entered the coveted 5G club. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated this next generation network, 5G, at the Indian Mobile Congress 2022. Currently, there are three major providers, namely, Jio, Airtel and Vodafone, which will be rolling out 5G services in different cities, albeit in a phased manner. To ensure a strategic country wide roll out, the process will start with 13 cities at present, including the top metro cities. Eventually, the spread of 5G services is aimed to reach the most remote parts of the country, and a 2-3 year period seems like a realistic timeline for a full scale roll out.
More than just a way to get high speed and low latency connectivity, 5G is being heralded as a means to transform India, empower all sections of the society and drive growth in the most important sectors of healthcare, education, among others.
Unlocking economic potential with 5G for India
As a revolution for Digital India, 5G seeks to bring along significant economic impact for the country, with an increase in the GDP, greater number of mobile users, higher connectivity and much more.
- 67% increase in data revenue by 2026 with 5G
- $1 trillion as the cumulative economic impact of 5G by 2035
- $150 billion additional GDP for the country between 2025-40 with 5G
That’s not all, 5G is being hailed as a major force in enabling the country to reach its goal of becoming a $5-trillion economy by 2024-25.
How will 5G impact India?
The economic potential of 5G for India stands tall and unwavering. However, the journey to achieve this impact also needs to be understood. Here is a quick snapshot of the various use cases which will drive 5G growth in India, resulting in the aforementioned economic impact for the country:
Healthcare
Improve quality and access to healthcare, especially in remote areas, by providing high levels of connectivity, with almost zero-latency to ensure real-time, live patient monitoring as well as remote surgeries. Uncovering benefits from high throughput of data for patient care. Promoting greater connectivity between patients and doctors.
Agriculture
Enabling farmers with precision agriculture, livestock farming, crop pest control, etc. with real time data transfer, with minimal lag, from IoT and other drone based infrastructure. Additionally, farmers can leverage 5G apps to predict weather conditions and stay updated on prices and trends, not to mention capture data on crop and livestock health.
Education
Facilitate remote learning opportunities by addressing the internet connectivity gaps in many rural and underserved areas. It will also make virtual learning interactive and immersive by facilitating the use of augmented and virtual reality with visual content, supported by its low latency capabilities.
Transport and logistics
Improve the delivery of data from sensors and supply chain visibility, as well as better details about shipping routes, etc. Increased network capacity to improve visibility into traffic and people flow, especially, during major city events, or rush hours.
Manufacturing
Creating smart factories, 5G powered quality inspection and predictive maintenance, connected front line workers, etc. will transform factory floors. This will lead to better manufacturing continuity and lower incidence of breakdown and downtime. Furthermore, 5G can enable precision driven control and analysis of industrial processes.
Wrapping up
5G will definitely be a central spoke in India’s digital revolution, facilitating a convergence of technologies like IoT, AR/VR, AI/ML, Robotics and many more. In time, the country will set the global standard in telecom technology. It will impact virtually every sector of the economy and we see it to be an enabler for strengthening India’s position in the global technology map.
Stay tuned to this space for latest updates on 5G in India and how it will impact diverse sectors in the country.
