IMC 5G launch Live updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to launch 5G in India today. He has inaugurated the India Mobile Congress in New Delhi today. (Image credit: Pixabay)5G Launch in India, PM Modi to Launch 5G Today LIVE Updates: : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will officially announced the launch of 5G in select cities starting today. The launch took place at the India Mobile Congress in Delhi. Airtel has confirmed that it will roll out 5G in eight cities starting today. Jio will bring 5G to select cities first, and plans to cover the entire country by 2023.
Keep in mind that in the first phase 5G will launch in thirteen cities first. But yes, full 5G coverage will take time, till 2024 as operators like Airtel have noted. Vodafone-Idea has not yet confirmed the rollout date for its 5G plans, though details should get confirmed soon.
5G in India: Which cities will get it first in the country
5G is the next generation of mobile communication networks, which is supposed to offer much faster speeds and wider use cases than 4G. It is believed that the rollout of 5G will accelerate the adoption of cloud gaming, AR/VR technology, Internet of Things, etc. 5G also has several enterprise use cases.
Here's what we know so far about 5G rollouts by Airtel, Jio and Vodafone Idea. Click the image below to know more.
The Prime Minister has now concluded his speech inaugurating 5G network servcies in India. With the launch of the next-gen network, we now expect telecom players to soon reveal plan and availability details.
Prime Minister Modi also mentions that India had 25 crore internet connections back in 2014; a number that today stands now at 85 crore. More internet users are coming onboard from rural areas. 5G will play a key role in how users new and old will benefit from the internet and its possibilities.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to stage on the occasion to speak about the benefits of 5G in India and how the service will help the country's technological revolution. Modi also spoke about key pillars that will support the Digital India movement, including the need for affordable technology and a widespread network.
He also stresses on manufacturing, adding how it will ensure a reduction in device costs. "Till 2014 we used to import 100 per cent of our mobile phones. That's why we decided to become 'atmanirbhar' in this particular area. In India, we now have 200 mobile phone manufacturing units now," Modi added (translated).
5G will also power Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) use-cases across the industry, especially in sectors like education, where children will have access to VR classrooms, enabling them to learn with real-time visual aids that offer a better understanding than words alone.
A showcase shows how among other use-cases, 5G can help with the safety of workers across construction sites. This includes a tracking system that can prevent accidents among workers by preventing them from going into dangerous areas by accident. 5G is also set to help speed up similar processes by ensuring fast connectivity.
The next demonstration shows how 5G can be used to help ensure safety of construction workers. The technology is being showcased by VI.
The first 5G demo shows how it can be used in education. The technology can be used to conduct virtual classes, where a teacher might not be physically present in the class. The demo is using technology built by Jio.
More from Technology
We are now getting 5G demos, aka what the technology is capable of achieving. The first demo shows how Jio's 5G system can be used to help schools in India.
Well PM Modi has officially launched 5G in India with the press of a button.
PM Modi has officially opened IMC 2022.
Kumar Mangalam Birla now on stage to talk ahead of the 5G launch in India. He thanks the Prime Minister for acknowledging the industry's role during the pandemic and the reforms in the telecom sector.
Sunil Bharti Mittal, founder and chairman of Airtel, is on stage. He thanks the Prime Minister for his Digital India vision. Says that without that particular vision, the country would have suffered during the pandemic.
Mukesh Ambani says that Jio will bring 5G to the entire country, including rural areas by December 2023.
RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani comes on stage to give his opening remarks. He thanks the PM and says that every policy, every document of the government is skillfully drafted to help India become a developed economy. He adds that 5G is much more than the next-generation, calls it the foundational technology to unlock other technologies such as AI, AR/VR, blockchain, metaverse.
Cabinet minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on stage. He's talking about how telecom is involved and critical to India's growth. He says PM Modi has called the telecom sector as a critical one. He also mentions how permissions and approvals are given easily in the telecom sector and that PM Modi has provided it with regulatory certainty.
Mos Devusinh Chauhan on stage right now. He's is opening the launch event with a welcome speech as PM Modi gets ready launch 5G services in the country. Chauhan thanks the PM in his speech.
Anil Kumar Jain, CEO of the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) said, “5G is going to bring forth the much needed internet revolution to India as has been experienced globally. Internet, internet governance and all applications around it are expected to grow and reach far and wide across the country. This will provide opportunities for the country and its allied businesses- MSMEs, startups, creator industries, its digital economy and also seen benefits of digital technology and revolution both in India's urban and rural areas.”
Madhav Sheth, CEO realme India, has said in a statement that the company will roll OTA updates for its devices to ensure that all the users can make the most of 5G. "With 5G being officially available now, we are looking forward to exploring the numerous opportunities it provides to us and will be directing our efforts into making this technology even more accessible to users. We have partnered with the leading telcos in India and have curated a host of bundle offers for our users. 85% of our devices already support SA and 100% of our devices will have full SA support by October," he said.
PM Narendra Modi experienced the use cases of 5G through Jio Glass. He also spent time understanding the indigenous development of end-to-end 5G technology by Jio. Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, MoS Telecom Devusinh Chauhan, RIL Chairman Mukesh Ambani and RJIL Chairman Akash Ambani were also present.