New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually addressed a program marking the silver jubilee celebrations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Tuesday. In a bid to commemorate the event, PM Modi also released a postal stamp. The Prime Minister launched 5G Test Bed on the special occasion which will enable a supportive ecosystem for Indian industry and startups helping them validate their products, prototypes, solutions, and algorithms in 5G and next-generation technologies, according to a press release by the PMO.
5G Test Bed has been developed as a multi-institute collaborative project by a total of eight institutes led by IIT Madras. The other institutes that participated in the project include IIT Delhi, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur, IISc Bangalore, Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering & Research (SAMEER), and Centre of Excellence in Wireless Technology (CEWiT). The project has been developed at a cost of more than Rs. 220 crore.
The Prime Minister also addressed the event and spoke about the efforts the central government is making in the technology sector and how the 56 technology will imporve the economy of India.
He said, "It's estimated that in the coming time, 5G will contribute $450bn to the Indian economy... By the end of this decade, we should be able to launch 6G services, our task force is working on it."
The Prime Minister added that the indigenous 5G Test Bed in the telecom sector is an important step in India's self-reliance and connectivity will decide the progress of country in the 21st century.
PM Modi also informed that the mobile manufacturing units in India have expanded from 2 to over 200 and the teledensity internet users are expanding in India at a rapid pace.