Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated the country’s first 5G testbed that will enable start-ups and industry players to test their products locally, thereby reducing dependence on facilities abroad.
Speaking at the silver jubilee celebrations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the PM said the 5G testbed, which had been set up at a cost of about ₹220 crore, was an important step towards self-reliance in the direction of critical and modern technologies in the telecom sector.
“I invite the young colleagues of the country, researchers, and companies to use this testing facility to build 5G technology. This is a great opportunity, especially for our start-ups to test their products,” he said.
The PM added that India’s own 5G standard had been made in the form of 5Gi, which was a matter of great pride for the country, and would play a big role in bringing 5G technology to the villages of the country.
He said 5G technology would also bring positive changes in the governance of the country, ease of living and ease of doing business. This would boost growth in every sector like agriculture, health, education, infrastructure and logistics, Mr. Modi said. “This will also increase convenience and create many employment opportunities. For rapid roll-out of 5G, efforts of both government and the industry are needed,” he added.
“Coming out of the despair, frustration, corruption and policy paralysis of the 2G era, the country has moved rapidly from 3G to 4G and now 5G and 6G,” the PM said.
