Budget 2022: 5G services to be rolled out within 2022-23

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced on Tuesday that 5G mobile services would be available by 2022-23. The auction of the 5G spectrum is yet to take place, following the recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to the Department of Telecommunications.

"As part of the production linked incentive plan, a programme for design-led manufacturing will be introduced to develop a robust ecosystem for 5G," Sitharaman stated. "This will encourage research and development as well as the commercialization of innovations and solutions," Sitharaman noted.

According to her, the government's objective is for all villages and people to have equal access to e-services, communication facilities, and resources as metropolitan regions and residents. She further stated that contracts for installing optical fibre in all villages, including distant places, will be issued through PPP under the Bharat NET initiative in 2022-23.

Sitharaman's remarks on 5G rollout are consistent with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) news release from December. According to the press release, 5G deployment in India will begin in 2022, with 13 cities receiving it first. According to estimates, 5G services would first be available in major cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad.

All major telecom operators, including Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Vi, are testing their 5G networks in various trials. The government is also in talks with telcos and other stakeholders about spectrum auctions, determining the final phase of the 5G rollout.

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• Budget 2022
• 5G technology
• auction
• Budget session
• Nirmala Sitharaman