5G launched in India: PM Modi says 5G services a major step for Digital India, Aatmanirbhar Bharat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi while launching the 5G services in India today at the India Mobile Congress 2022 event in Delhi said that the launch is a major step in the vision of Digital India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat. “Today, India is the world's 5th largest economy. This provides an opportunity for our entrepreneurs, innovators, and for every citizen to become part of this journey towards a New India," he said during his address.

He said that many had made fun of his vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, but he had foreseen the potential in digital innovation. PM Modi added that the utility of 5G is not limited to facilitating day-to-day activities, but rather, it is coming as a force to change life altogether. “We should use the launch of 5G services for the unprecedented growth and economic development of the country,” PM Modi said.

Talking about the four pillars of Digital India, PM Modi said, "We emphasised the price of the digital device, the connectivity, price of data and the vision of digital first."

He stressed upon manufacturing of IT products, explaining how it will ensure a reduction in device costs. “Till 2014, we used to import 100 per cent of our mobile phones. That's why we decided to become 'atmanirbhar' in this particular area. In India, we now have 200 mobile phone manufacturing units now," he added.  

He highlighted that India is No. 2 in manufacturing mobile phones and that India is also exporting mobile phones. The prime minister said that all these efforts have made mobile phones cheaper in India.

He also urged the telecom industry to work with the MSME sector to reduce the costs of hardware manufacturing and build a robust manufacturing network. “This would help in creating jobs and opportunities for small and medium businesses," he said.

Talking about the costs, PM said that the charges in India have gone down drastically, making it more affordable for everyone.  “Earlier, the cost of 1GB data was about Rs 300, it has come down to about Rs 10 per GB now. On average, a person in India consumes 14GB per month. This would have cost about Rs 4,200 per month, but now it costs Rs 125-150. It's the efforts of government that led to this."

Earlier in the day, PM Modi went around the pavilions at the India Mobile Congress 2022 set up by different telecom operators and technology providers to get a first-hand experience of what 5G can do. He personally saw the 'True 5G' devices on display and experienced the use case through Jio Glass.

Accompanied by Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and billionaires Mukesh Ambani of Reliance, Sunil Bharti Mittal of Bharti Airtel, and Kumar Mangalam Birla of Vodafone Idea, PM Modi took out time to go through the indigenous development of end-to-end 5G technology. Minister Vaishnaw said that in the next six months, 5G services to be available in over 200 cities, and attempts are being made to make 5G services available in 80-90% of the country in the next two years. 

For general consumers, 5G will offer higher data speeds over 4G. At its peak, internet speeds on 5G could touch 10 Gbps as compared to the 100 Mbps of 4G. It will provide seamless coverage in remote areas across the country. It will increase energy efficiency, spectrum efficiency, and network efficiency. The service is touted to be a big-ticket plan of the Narendra Modi government, which is expected to cover the entire country over the next couple of years.

Talking about their preparedness for 5G, Aditya Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla said Vodafone-Idea has made a lot of preparations. Vodafone-Idea will make all efforts to be a part of this revolution.