5G – the Next Big Thing: How It Will Disrupt Industry Landscape in India

On October 01, 2022, the Prime Minister of India officially launched the country’s first 5G mobile network. 5G’s countrywide coverage would transform how healthcare, education, transport, government, and public services are delivered in India.

The idea of 5G networks in India first came up when the government established a high-level forum in 2017 to put out a plan for a 5G India by 2020. In 2018, the 5G in India forum urged telecom companies to conduct comprehensive tests and create a framework for 5G Applications and Use Case Labs for 5G in India. The country is expected to adopt 5G soon. The next generation of wireless communication, or 5G, connects people, machines, businesses, and other objects. The 5G technology will provide higher multi-Gbps data speeds, enormous bandwidth and network capacity, ultra-low latency, improved availability, and more reliability than the existing mobile networks in India.

5G offers extremely minimal latency. When a user requests a data transfer, there is a delay before the transfer starts, known as latency. For whatever job is carried out on the 5G network, the speed unquestionably increases with ultra-low latency and provides prompt response. It also aids in maintaining a constant data speed for users.

Regarding media downloads and uploads, transferring large files, AR/VR applications, and Ultra HD video streaming on mobile devices, the overall mobile broadband experience with 5G will change drastically. It will accelerate the use of IoT devices in our daily lives and businesses. The broad deployment of 5G technology will be advantageous for automotive, e-commerce, manufacturing, public services (such as smart city applications), and banking sectors.

Potential of 5G in Various Industries in India

India Inc. is conscious of the advantages of 5G technology and has already developed a plan for implementing it. Many businesses and startups are currently working on 5G technology, including Reliance Jio, Mymo Wireless, Niral Networks, VVDN, Tejas Networks, Acliv, Cadence India, and Qualcomm India. To help startups in India, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) supports a sizable 5G testbed initiative. The development of 5G is being pursued by prestigious Indian academic institutions, including IIT-Delhi, IIT-Hyderabad, IIT-Kanpur, IIIT-Bangalore, and the Indian Institute of Science (IISC). Building a safe and expandable national 5G infrastructure would be necessary for India to become a major global manufacturing center. Niral Network provides a cell site router with 5G access network deep inspection capabilities.

For instance,

• Mymo Wireless, a Bengaluru-based startup, has already been working on creating 5G chipsets.
• VVDN, an India-based company, has developed competence in various 5G areas, including 5G RAN, 5G RF, and 5G cloud/digital.
• Reliance Jio has declared in September 2022 that it would invest INR 2 trillion (USD 25.1 billion) in constructing a nationwide standalone 5G network in India by December 2023.
• Bharti Airtel set a March 2024 deadline for achieving a nationwide 5G coverage in India.
• Vodafone Idea Ltd. (VIL) and Ericsson partnered as part of the current 5G trials in India to demonstrate the potential of 5G to change the Indian healthcare industry by demonstrating how 5G connectivity may provide access to healthcare in distant areas of the country.
• Bharti Airtel built a 5G-connected ambulance in partnership with Apollo Hospitals, Cisco, and other organizations, revolutionizing access to healthcare and assisting in life-saving situations.

5G has created a networked healthcare environment by utilizing the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics to improve patient care. According to experts, disruptive technologies and 5G will enhance remote patient monitoring and result in more accurate diagnoses. Remote robotic surgery, for instance, is possible because of the connection between 5G and IoT. Medical sensors that use augmented reality (AR) and real-time data readings to guide surgeons remotely throughout the surgery. Due to the expanded use of 5G in hospitals and clinics during the epidemic, the enhanced efficacy of telemedicine and telehealth was particularly noticeable. The length of the hospital stay is also shortened by the ongoing, real-time communications between the doctor and the patient.

A new idea known as "4P" medicine—predictive, preventative, personalized, and participatory—will be introduced due to the fundamental change in healthcare. Critical home-based patient monitoring devices that enable post-acute care will become possible because of 5G's ability to supply up to 100 times more bandwidth. The Government of India auctioned 72 GHz in the country's first-ever 5G spectrum auction. India's prominent telecom companies, such as Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio, are quickly trying to deploy 5G services throughout its circles. India's 5G network will improve daily life and open new prospects.

Conclusion

The 5G technology allows reduced latency, higher network capacity, and up to 10 times quicker data transmission speeds than those possible with earlier standards. As a result, 5G not only opens a world of possibilities for many businesses but also prepares the ground for widespread upheaval. 5G, the connection of the future, will unlock the possibilities for new markets, uses, and innovations. Collaboration between the government, industry, and 5G network providers is required to accomplish long-term goals and make 5G a reality in India.

Industry estimations claim that by 2030, manufacturing-related 5G applications would boost the global GDP by USD 134 billion. By 2025, it is expected that there will be over 70 billion linked IoT devices, many of which will be used for automotive purposes. A new age of adaptable automation and simplified supply chains has been ushered in by 5G, as more devices become linked in smart factories. The 5G technology accelerates data flow on the plant floor and enables cost-effective customization.