India is in talks with 18 countries that are keen to implement the 4G/5G technology stack, communications and IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday. He added the whole country will get 5G coverage by December 2024.

“These are some of the best (countries) in the world (that are looking to adopt the stack),” Vaishnaw told reporters. “This is a 4G/5G stack which is upgradable. What we have installed, that same device will be doing 5G also. Technology has to be tested, ruggedised, then only we will move to the next. That’s why we are doing 4G first (with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.) and then 5G.”

Further, he said the government was targeting to reach 200 districts in phase I of the 5G rollout by March 31, but had already touched 387 districts.

Vaishnaw also said that India has already got 100 patents for 6G telecom technology. The minister was at a briefing to announce that the Indian government had received the 2023 Government Leadership Award at the Groupe Speciale Mobile Association (GSMA)’s Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona. The GSMA is an association representing the mobile operators and global mobile industry.

“The country we recognise this year has a long list of achievements over the past year – including a highly successful 5G spectrum auction, the launch of a national portal for right-of-way approvals to streamline network deployment, and numerous programmes aimed at enhancing digital and financial inclusion,” the MWC Barcelona website said.

Vaishnaw said India’s telecom sector was plagued with numerous problems such as litigation and legacy issues, but has now emerged as ‘a sunrise sector’ that is investment-oriented and employment generating.

“Our next major target is getting the Telecom Bill passed in the coming Monsoon session,” Vaishnaw said. “That will lead to a major series of reforms, in terms of spectrum, licences, regulation. There will be a significant reform because of the Bill.”

One significant clause on the draft Bill was to regulate OTT communication players such as Whatsapp and Signal from a national security and consumer safety standpoint.

Asked about the mobile phone operators’ demand that OTT communication application players should pay telcos for using the mobile network, Vaishnaw said similar discussions are happening globally. “These are new changes that are happening all over the world. Telecom is always global… let’s see how the world moves.”

The net result of the overall reforms is evident in the country’s ranking in speed test index by third-party testing companies, Vaishnaw said.

“[It is] now a sunrise sector…the industry achieved the phase one target of 5G roll outs much before the set deadline of March 31. As of today, India has covered 387 districts with 5G coverage. 1 lakh base transceiver stations (BTSs) have been installed today,” said Vaishnaw.

 

While speaking about the progress on the manufacturing front, Vaishnaw said the first eNodeB, which was designed and made in India, was installed in Chandigarh.

A base station for a cellular network usually consists of a tower and equipment hut. Evolved NodeB or eNodeB is the base station equipment that handles the radio interface with smartphones

Vaishnaw said 99% of phones are made in India, and that mobile phone exports from the country this year are going to exceed $10 billion. “Now there is the entire component ecosystem here, as volumes have increased. In the coming years, you will see exponential growth in electronics manufacturing and telecom manufacturing.”

When asked about Chinese-made CCTVs in government offices in India, after Australia’s decision to remove such cameras from defence sites over national security fears, Vaishnaw said all the cyber security wings were working on it. “We should be able to counter any threat to India’s security,” he said.