Let’s start with Introduction of 5G 5G is the 5th generation mobile network. It is a new global wireless standard after 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks. 5G enables a new kind of network that is designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together including machines, objects, and devices.
How does 5G works? Like other cellular networks, 5G uses radio frequencies that ride over spectrum to send data. But 5G networks can run on any frequency, including the “high-band,” short-range airwaves. Verizon’s 5G network is built using three different bands of spectrum—low-band, mid-band and high-band. 5G Nationwide uses the low-band spectrum and high-performance 5G Ultra Wideband uses a combination of mid-band and high-band spectrum. Owing to increased mobile and broadband penetration, India is already in the midst of a digital revolution. But once the future of 5G in India comes to fruition, it will spearhead this revolution and transform the productivity, experiences and aspirations of a billion people in a blink of an eye. Today, “When is 5G coming to India?” and “Is 5G already in India?” are two of the most pressing queries that all knowledgeable Indians have. Although the central government envisioned a viable, robust 5G network in India by 2018, insufficient spectrum availability, exorbitant spectrum pricing, poor test case development, insufficient back-haul capacity, low reach of optical fibre across the country, and delays in planning have pushed the date to the second half of 2021. Despite all these issues, the number of 5G-connected devices in India is forecasted to be around 350 million by 2026, as per Ericsson. This means that the nation is ready to embrace the next-gen technology soon, with companies involved in 5G in India such as telecom giants like Airtel and Jio ready to commercially roll out 5G by October 2021. At present, all industry stakeholders in the country, including 5G infrastructure companies in India, are actively involved in readying the necessary 5G-compliant ecosystem in wake of the roll-out. The Department of Telecom is focused on R&D around PPP projects, testbeds, pilot roll-outs and standards formulation. They are also working with TRAI and other stakeholders on a Spectrum Management Framework while encouraging collaborations between start-ups and ICT companies. Simultaneously, Indian telcos and OEMs are conducting 5G deployment feasibility studies. Indian IT sector has come up with its own set of solutions and 5G applications to support this new era of connectivity. In terms of fibre penetration to enhance 5G reach and distance, India plans to increase fibre backbone to 2.5 million km by 2022, with 300,000 km of fibre planned under the BharatNet programme for rural areas. So, how will 5G change India? The answer is simple: kickstarting the Industrial Revolution 4.0 to bring us technologically on par with global leaders like China, Japan, the US and Western Europe. As the industry develops hundreds of 5G use cases, many of the applications like IoT, smart cities and automation will enable us to transform the country’s manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, education, IT, work and living infrastructure. Reasonably, many emerging companies to benefit from 5G in India will belong to these domains, further contributing to the economy. Indeed, there is a strong belief amongst the nation’s leaders and visionaries that 5G will be the catalyst in pushing India to become a $1 trillion economy by 2025. • What does 5G mean for consumers? With 5G technology, a faster mobile internet connection is just the beginning, for consumers. A stronger, secure connection at greater speed and lower latency will help the consumer with many more devices being connected with this next-generation technology. Self-driving cars, smart homes, virtual reality experience while gaming, shopping and viewing sporting events, tele-medicines and remote health monitoring are what the consumers can look forward to with 5G. • Does 5G change my home internet service? 5G is a wireless solution. The Internet needs cables that connect to modems which then connects to the home internet. At present, it seems that 5G and home internet will probably run in tandem together. 5G will not be able to replace internet services totally in the immediate future as it has its own settling it parameters. Wireless 5G reception might not be similar in various local geographies – urban and rural. The 5G wireless services might be costlier at the beginning for individuals. Moreover, not all gadgets are yet 5G compliant, hence might not run if the fifth generation is fully encompassed. • Do I need a new phone with 5G technology to work? The simple answer is that you will need a 5G compliant phone to access a 5G technology network. However, one need not discard the old phone yet. 5G technology works distinctly on top of the 4G technology. If your phone is working on 4G, it will continue to do so. 5G will not replace 4G wireless technology soon and your 4G technology-enabled phone will continue to work. India is one of the largest telecom markets in the world — with over a billion active wireless subscribers — and is on the brink of the 5G revolution. Opensignal's latest analysis reveals that a large addressable market already exists for the operators in the country as many people already use 5G-capable smartphones. Approximately 9.7% of smartphones in use in India are 5G-capable, meaning that 5G uptake could explode very quickly as these users do not need to buy new smartphones to be able to take advantage of 5G services. Last month, India concluded its long-awaited 5G spectrum auctions, generating USD19 billion from the sale of frequencies in the 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 3.5 GHz and 26 GHz bands. While Jio and Airtel walked away with most of the spectrum, Vodafone pursued a slightly different strategy, purchasing frequencies worth $2.4 billion but only in selected markets. Additionally, Adani Data Networks purchased approximately $27 million of spectrum in a handful of markets which it will use to offer private 5G network services. Almost immediately after the auction, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) issued spectrum assignment letters, requesting mobile operators prepare for the launch of 5G services in the country.
5G denote the next major phase of mobile telecommunication standards beyond the upcoming 4G standards. 5G technology will change the way most high bandwidth users access their phones. With 5G pushed over a VOIP enabled device, people will experience a level of call volume and data transmission never experienced before.