Policies, regulatory regime need to be evolved to reap full benefits of 5G: TRAI chief

New Delhi, December 9

Next-generation 5G technology would have a transformational impact on industries and Indian society, placing them on “unprecedented growth trajectory” and accordingly, policies, licensing framework and regulatory regime need to be evolved to reap its full benefit, TRAI chairman PD Vaghela said on Wednesday.

Describing 5G as a “gamechanger”, Vaghela said it would be widely used not only within telecom but by all other sectors, and help bridge the urban-rural divide.

“To reap its benefits, the country’s policies, licensing and regulatory environment also need to be evolved to enable 5G,” Vaghela said addressing India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2020.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is working “wholeheartedly” in this direction, said Vaghela.

Supporting policies needed to be evolved to position India as a global destination for technology products, Vaghela said.

He further said 5G would usher seamless coverage, ultra-high speeds, and highly reliable communications for mission-critical applications.

“5G promises a new range of services to consumers and enterprises, beyond traditional voice and data, through enabling technologies like Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, augmented reality and virtual reality and host of new emerging applications,” he said.

It would also bring use cases like smart cities, smart manufacturing, smart agriculture, and industrial automation, amongst others, besides encouraging spectrum and network efficiency.

“5G is likely to transform industries and Indian society, accelerating them on an unprecedented growth trajectory,” he said. PTI