Coming up fast on the RAN, it’s India leading as we head into 6G
India should take lead in the 6G technology and set the direction for the whole world, said its minister for communications, electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday, reports Live Mint. Radical de-regulation of telecoms is needed, but with Indian delegates now chairing key study groups for the International Telecoms Union (ITU), this could be possible. “We have made very good progress on 4G and 5G and should take lead in the 6G technology. Otherwise what’s the point of being a nation of talents?” said minister Vaishnaw.
Bonfire of regulations
Vaishnaw called for an overhaul of regulations to expedite technology developments by making India’s industry players partners rather than adversaries. Addressing a seminar organised by The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT), Vaishnaw said that the system entangled everybody. Some who lacked sufficiently strong values in the past had created a mess which had defamed the telecom market.
One regulator for the world
“Can we have one regulator for the entire digital world? Those kinds of things are happening. We need to really overhaul our entire regulatory set-up in terms of the legal and regulatory execution structure, the way our government bodies think, people are trained, the way we interact with the industry – not as adversaries but as partners,” said Vaishnaw, “That’s the next big thing that we have to do.” Vaishnaw called for more development of the technology stack and more Indian start-ups to be created for the challenge ahead.
Lagged on 3G, leading on 6G
“We were lagging when it was 2G and 3G. We are trying to catch up with 4G. We should at least run together in 5G but in 6G we should take the lead.” A consortium of 11 institutions including the Institute of Technology in Madras (IIT Chennai), IIT Kanpur, IIT Bombayand the Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore had created 4G technology in 14 months with just €27 million, which is a “very small fraction of the cost” at which dominant players in the telecom sector have created the technology.
Institutional collaboration
India’s tech sector has advanced to the point that 35 Indian telecom companies are now looking to export their products overseas, said Vaishnaw. The crucial study groups for future development of 5G and 6G under the ITU are now chaired by Indian delegates. “It’s important to know, when we litigate, to think whether we are addressing the case in front of us or are we going to see the future being seen for the country. If we see that and maybe make some adjustments in our legal thinking, I think that will probably be a better service to the nation,” said Vaishnaw.