India is making a monumental stride in the telecommunication field with the launch of the Bharat 6G Alliance. Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Minister of Information Technology, announced the inception of the Bharat 6G Alliance in a historic event held in New Delhi. The alliance is the result of a synergistic collaboration between the central government, academia, and industry. Their objective? To lead the charge in all matters related to 6G technology.

India's technological prowess is already evident as it stands tall with more than 200 patents under its belt pertaining to 6G technology. This achievement places India as a global front-runner in the telecom industry, underpinning its dedication to staying ahead of the curve and embracing technological advancements. But the journey doesn't end there. The ultimate goal is to meet the societal and business requirements that the 6G technology promises to fulfill, and this is where the Bharat 6G Alliance (B6GA) plays a significant role.

Objectives of the Bharat 6G Alliance

The main focus of the alliance is to provide improved reliability, ultra-low latency, and affordable solutions to India's tech landscape. In a world where speed is of the essence, the 6G network aims to offer communication speeds that are almost 100 times faster than its predecessor, 5G. This groundbreaking enhancement in speed will revolutionize the realm of communication and pave the way for the development of innovative applications.

The B6GA's role is to move beyond merely meeting technical specifications and understand the societal and business implications of 6G technology. By fostering open research and development initiatives, the alliance aims to ensure the effective design, development, and deployment of 6G technologies across India.

Bridging the Digital Divide in Rural India

In its quest for an inclusive digital transformation, the government has also provided almost 1.5 lakh broadband connections in rural areas over the last nine years. This achievement is pivotal in narrowing the digital divide, thus providing rural communities with access to affordable and reliable internet services. It has opened up new possibilities for education, healthcare, e-commerce, and overall socio-economic growth in rural India.

India's journey in the telecom sector is marked by the steadfast commitment of the government towards its growth. The launch of the Bharat 6G Alliance is a testament to this commitment. This move further cements India's position as one of the top three 5G ecosystems worldwide, boasting a commendable number of 270,000 5G sites spread across the country.

Significant strides have been made in the last nine years, with the government ushering in a host of reforms to place the telecom sector as a sunrise industry. A key achievement has been the considerable reduction in data costs from Rs. 300 per GB in 2014 to a mere Rs. 10 per GB in 2023. This development has made data more accessible and affordable for the Indian population, thus positioning India as a leader in technology adoption.

Aiming for the Stars with the Bharat 6G Alliance

The Bharat 6G Alliance is not only a technical body. It is the amalgamation of industry, academia, and government working in unison to promote a systematic and methodical approach towards 6G development. India's impressive acquisition of over 200 6G patents is a testimony to this fact. The aim is to ensure that by 2030, at least 10% of the 6G IPR (intellectual property rights) are from India.

This alliance, led by TCS chief operating officer N Ganapathy Subramaniam, will pave the way for India's presence in the global telecommunications sphere. Apart from Subramaniam, the alliance comprises industry stalwarts such as Jagbir Singh, CTO of Vodafone Idea; Rajkumar Upadhyay, CEO of C-DoT; Kumar N Sivarajan, CTO of Tejas Networks; Jagdish Mitra, Chief Strategy Officer of Tech Mahindra, and Ayush Bhatnagar, Senior Vice President of Jio.

The chairman of the alliance, Subramaniam, outlined the primary focus of their initial discussions on 6G. The key areas will be providing highly differentiated experiences for sectors such as health and education, redefining how entertainment is consumed, and increasing productivity in all spheres of life.

The 6G network, with its promise of more reliable, affordable solutions and unimaginable speeds, 100 times faster than 5G, is the game-changer that India has been waiting for.

A Glimpse into the Future with the 6G Vision Document

In March, the government launched a vision document for 6G services in the country, which set the roadmap for the launch of 6G services. The document, which is a testament to India's ambition and strategic planning, includes recommendations from task forces, financial support required for projects, and the opening of spectrum bands.

Under the 6G Apex Council, the alliance will comprise a general body, a governing council, and several working groups. Their focus will be to grow 5G advanced and 6G intellectual properties (IPs) and essential patents from India, build 5G advanced/6G products and solutions, support India's participation in the 3GPP standards, and enable market access for startups.

Nod to Two 6G Projects

The Indian government also approved Rs. 240.5 crore under the Telecom Technology Development Fund for two 6G projects. These projects include a 6G THz testbed with orbital angular momentum and multiplexing through a consortium of SAMEER, IIT Madras, IIT Guwahati, and IIT Patna, and an advanced optical communication testbed with consortium members IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, and Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi.

Moreover, a grant of Rs. 48 crore will be given to 66 startups and MSMEs under the Digital Communication Innovation Square.

Key Takeaways

The government's ambitious roadmap for the future of telecommunication in India is inspiring. It clearly manifests the commitment of India to stay at the forefront of technological innovations. With the launch of the Bharat 6G Alliance, India is stepping into the future, aiming to garner 10% of the world's 6G patents by 2030. This bold initiative, led by prominent industry figures, will surely establish India as a formidable player in the global telecommunication industry.

While South Korea plans to launch 6G network and services by 2028, India is not far behind with its goal to launch the 6G network by 2030.

The Indian government's relentless efforts to bridge the digital divide, the enormous drop in data costs, and the approval of innovative projects show the country's determination to lead in the telecommunication sector. With these incredible strides, the future of telecommunications in India looks very promising. Every day brings a new development, and with the Bharat 6G Alliance, India is on the right track to a digital revolution.