India upbeat about 6G as new initiative announced

Details: Vaughan O'Grady; Category: Wireless Networks; 04 July 2023; 6205 views

India’s Minister of Communications and Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, has announced the introduction of the Bharat 6G Alliance. This initiative is said to bring together key stakeholders from the public and private sectors to foster the development of 6G in India.

Launching the initiative earlier this week, the Minister said India had already acquired over 200 relevant patents and listed the enhanced capabilities possible with 6G, including improved reliability, ultra-low latency and affordable solutions.

The Bharat 6G Alliance, we are told, will serve as a platform for comprehensive discussions on various facets of emerging telecom technologies and platforms that will shape the next decade.

While specific detail has not been supplied, the aim of this initiative is to facilitate collaboration, knowledge sharing and strategic planning to ensure India remains at the forefront of technological advancements.

A 6G vision document was published in March outlining India's plans to develop and launch 6G telecom services within the next few years.

The Minister was predictably upbeat, suggesting that at least 10% of 6G IPR should be from India by 2029 or 2030. He also said the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has accepted India’s 6G vision, which means that standards, technology and various patent sub verticals will consider India’s inputs related to the technology.

It’s certainly true that India is moving quickly in the deployment of 5G networks, with 270,000 5G sites apparently in place already. In addition procedural and structural telecoms reforms are in place or on the way, all of which may boost 6G development in the country.

Of course none of this is too specific but the government certainly sounds bullish about India’s prospects as a 6G pioneer. The next few years should show how justified this attitude is.