5G test bed in six months

As the Centre plans to rollout 5G technology by 2020, it said the test bed of the next generation mobile technology would be operational in six months.

The test bed would be a key enabler for standards and devices needed for the rollout as the country is working towards being in the forefront of development, local manufacturing of advanced telecom technology.

The government has already set up high-hevel Forum on 5G India 2020 with a mandate to lay down a roadmap for the rollout.

The panel will suggest incentives to attract tech startups and venture capitals in the technology.

Besides, the forum will also recommend undertakings of other 5G-related research, intellectual property rights and other issues.

5G networks not only assure high speed data, but also provides ample scope for the proliferation of internet-connected smart devices.

Under the technology, the government aims to deliver about 10,000 Mbps in urban areas and 1000 Mbps in rural locations.

"We will leverage 5G technology for the deployment of next-generation broadband infrastructure, through which we will aim to have 100% coverage of 10 Gbps broadband across urban India and 1Gbps across the rural India," a senior official said.

Earlier Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha said that the government is betting big on 5G technologies as it would provides an opportunity for the industry to reach out to global markets and consumers to gain with the economies of scale.

The government is also in the process of setting up Rs 500 crore fund for research and development of 5G technology. The fund will be spent by three ministries - Telecom, Electronics and IT (MeitY), and Science and Technology.

The government's plan to aggressivly push for 5G is to ensure that it doesn't get left behind when the world shifts to advanced telecom technology. India adopted 4G much later when compared to many other countries.