In India, where many of the country’s government-to-citizen services, as well as a large portion of the payments industry, rely on technological platforms, digital transformations are now a huge concern.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi spoke through video conferencing today at a programme commemorating the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) silver jubilee celebrations. In addition, he issued a commemorative postal stamp. The event was attended by Union Ministers Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Shri Devusinh Chauhan, and Shri L. Murugan, as well as leaders from the telecom and media sectors.
The Prime Minister addressed the crowd, saying that the nation’s self-built 5G Test Bed, which he dedicated today, is an essential step toward self-reliance in critical and modern technologies in the telecom industry. He congratulated everyone involved in the effort, especially the IITs. “5Gi, the country’s own 5G standard, has been established; now it’s just a matter of time.”
The rate of advancement in 21st-century India, according to the Prime Minister, will be determined by connection. As a result, every level of connectivity must be upgraded. He went on to say that 5G technology will help improve the country’s governance, quality of life, and ease of doing business. As a result, agriculture, health, education, infrastructure, and logistics will all experience enhanced growth. This will also improve convenience and open up a plethora of job options. Both government and business initiatives are required for a speedy rollout of 5G, he stressed.
The telecom sector, according to the Prime Minister, is an excellent illustration of how self-reliance and healthy competition have a multiplier effect on society and the economy. The country has rapidly progressed from 3G to 4G, and now 5G and 6G, after emerging from the hopelessness, frustration, corruption, and policy gridlock of the 2G era.
The Prime Minister stated that the telecom sector has received fresh vigour in the previous eight years as a result of the ‘Panchamrita’ of Reach, Reform, Regulate, Respond, and Revolutionise. He acknowledged TRAI as playing a critical role in this. The Prime Minister stated that the country is moving away from thinking in silos and toward a “whole of government approach.” Today, we are the fastest-growing country in the world in terms of teledensity and internet users, and various sectors, including telecom, have contributed to this, he said.
The Prime Minister stated that in order to make mobile phones affordable to the lowest of the poor, a focus on mobile phone manufacturing in the country was placed. As a result, the number of mobile production units expanded from two to over 200.
India is now linking every town in the country with optical fibre, according to the Prime Minister. He went on to say that before 2014, just 100 local panchayats in India had access to optical fibre. We have now connected roughly 1.75 lakh gramme panchayats to the internet. As a result, hundreds of government services are reaching the communities.
According to the Prime Minister, the ‘whole of government approach is critical for regulators like TRAI to tackle current and future difficulties. “Regulation is no longer limited by the boundaries of a single industry.” Different industries are becoming more interconnected as a result of technological advancements. That is why, in today’s world, everyone recognises the necessity for collaborative regulation. All regulators must work together to build common platforms and discover solutions for improved coordination, according to the Prime Minister.
