Five things to know about the 5G rollout

What is the News?

The ongoing Mobile World Congress in Barcelona has underlined the importance of 5G, the technology mobile networks will ride on to provide services to millions of people. 

What is 5G?

The term 5G refers to the fifth generation of cellular data technology.

5G technology is meant to deliver higher multi-Gbps peak data speeds, ultra-low latency, more reliability, massive network capacity, increased availability, and a more uniform user experience to more users. 

Which countries have launched 5G connections?

Nearly 200 countries have deployed 5G, with nations such as China, Japan, South Korea and the US taking the lead. 

According to GSMA, the number of 5G connections globally is set to reach 1 billion in 2022. From about 6% of total connections in 2021, 5G will account for around 25% of total mobile connections in the world by the end of 2025.

How far is India behind in the 5G rollout?

India is set to conduct its first 5G spectrum auctions in the first half of 2022. Indian carriers such as  Reliance Jio,  Airtel and Vodafone Idea have conducted 5G trials  with various vendors.

However, Spectrum pricing as high as ₹50,000 crore for pan-India 5G airwaves for a single operator has kept carriers away from bidding for the spectrum in previous auctions. 

What is the Economic Impact of 5G Rollout? 

5G is expected  to benefit mostly all sectors, especially the services and manufacturing sectors. Mobile operators are also expected to invest more than $600 billion worldwide between 2022 and 2025 in capital expenditure, of which 85% will be in 5G networks. Hence, this will boost job creation.

Source: This post is based on the article “Five things to know about the 5G rollout” published in Livemint on 2nd March 2022.