5G and Digital Transformation-Game changer for Indian economy

The industrial revolution in the late 1700s and early 1800s had a substantial impact on the GDP per capita of many economies in North America and Europe. India had an adverse effect as we were a mere supplier of raw material for the British industries. From then till now, it has been a revolutionary period, and none have a similar impact on the Indian economy and industry as the growth of mobile broadband and digitalisation. The digitization could be the drivers that are likely to transform industries, accelerating them on an exceptional growth trajectory.

Target of USD 5 trillion economy
India’s economy is the fifth-largest in the world, with a GDP of USD 2.94 trillion. We are focusing on reaching the USD 5 trillion mark to become the leading economy in the world. In the past six months, life has changed irrevocably. Everything is going digital now. And to live upto this transformation, India needs stronger network connectivity and infrastructure.

India has just begun building a digital network
In India, we have only 30 percent of the towers connected through fibre. COVID has further shown the importance of robust and high-speed digital infrastructure. We firmly believe that we have just started with a decade long digital network creation cycle. Indian digital infra needs:

• Connected individuals and enterprises;
• Higher scale/bandwidth; and
• Better quality connectivity with superior

One of the ways to achieve scale and quality of connectivity is 5G.

5G will empower mission-critical infrastructure development
With current 4G is limited to telephony and some degree of enterprise automation, 5G has the potential to enable a raft of mission-critical applications. As the applications and use-cases will be more on the enterprise side, 5G will be driven by enterprises and industries, not just telecom operators.

5G has enormous revenue potential and impact across the world. “Intelligent connectivity, enabled by 5G, will be a catalyst for socio-economic growth in the Fourth Industrial Revolution with an estimated USD 13.2 trillion of global economic value by 2035”, World Economic Forum. Delay in the 5G network rollout will impact the country’s economy, social growth, and much more.

5G can create enormous opportunities in India
While 4G/LTE pertained primarily for mobile operators, almost every sector can reap the benefits from 5G. This system not only supports massive growth in mobile broadband but serves to industries that need secure and reliable connectivity.

India is on a journey of digital transformation to connect its remotest corners. There is also a significant emphasis on positioning India as a global manufacturing hub as part of the goverment’s Make in India vision. Technologies like 5G and IoT play a crucial role in enhancing and enabling development in this sector.

Enterprise spectrum will pave the way for 5G in India
In the past few years, many markets worldwide, including the US, Australia, Europe, and Asia, have already rollout their first 5G network. For India, being self-reliant or Atmanirbhar is essential, as 5G will be a mission-critical infrastructure. India needs a semiconductor to software strategy to design and manufacture 5G gear in India. India can build an ecosystem to make entire 5G gear– semiconductor, radio units, virtual network functions, and system integration capabilities. As the major applications for 5G are on the enterprise side, the enterprise spectrum for private 5G will be the key.

For 5G to become a reality and for its benefits to reach the many, we must look at it as national infrastructure and focus on building strong digital infrastructure to catalyst 5G.