Budget proposes to set up 100 labs for developing apps using 5G services

“One hundred labs for developing applications using 5G services will be set up in engineering institutions to realise a new range of opportunities, business models, and employment potential. The labs will cover, among others, applications such as smart classrooms, precision farming, intelligent transport systems, and health care applications,” she said.

The announcement puts focus on the opportunities that 5G technology can provide to sectors outside of telecommunications, even as telecom service providers Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel expand the reach of 5G services across the country.

“The proposed outlay for 5G labs will further push the development of use cases and the setup of private networks in India. Healthcare, education are amongst the most important sectors in India and the research across universities will push innovations and job opportunities,” said Peeyush Vaish, partner and telecom sector leader at Deloitte India.

According to latest data available, the country’s largest telecom services provider Reliance Jio had introduced 5G services to 225 cities across India. The carrier plans to cover the whole country by December 2023. Jio’s 5G standalone or SA services are available across several states at the beta level where it is inviting customers to experience 5G services on their devices. Over 200 models are ready for consumers to use 5G SA services.

The second largest carrier Bharti Airtel said it had launched services in over 30 cities and had connected over 1 million users within a month of launch of its 5G network which worked on the non-standalone or NSA architecture.

“Airtel 5G Plus will be present across urban India by end of the year as we continue to ramp up our deployment at a rapid pace,” an Airtel spokesperson said. The carrier intends to cover the full country by March 2024.

The competition between the top two telecom service providers is heating up on 5G, with both setting up large number of sites and towers across several states and cities in the country. While Reliance Jio has set up over 17,687 base stations as of November end, Airtel had set up nearly 3,300 with the number having risen since.