Budget 2022: 5G Telecom services to be rolled out in India by 2023

 India will roll out 5G mobile services within 2022-23 said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharam as she presented her budget speech in the parliament on Tuesday.

“5G technology in particular can offer job opportunities and growth. The required spectrum auctions will be conducted in 2022 to facilitate roll out of 5G mobile services within 2022-23 by private telecom operators,” Sitharaman said.

Scheme for design led manufacturing in 5G will be launched as part of PLI scheme, the FM said.

“This will promote R&D and commercialization of technologies and solutions. Our mission is that all villages and their residents should have the same access to e-services, communication facilities and digital resources as urban areas and their residents,” FM said.

She added that the contract for laying optical fibre in all villages, including remote areas, will be awarded through the BharatNet project through PPP in 2022-23.

“Completion is expected in 2025. Measures will be taken to enable better and more efficient use of the optical fibre,” FM said.

The PLI scheme is reportedly focused on design-led manufacturing; and in an attempt to enable affordable internet services, the government is also setting aside 5% of the annual Universal obligation services fund (USO) towards providing and promoting R&D as well as commercialization of technology.

Recently, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) had announced that 5G internet services will be rolled out in India in 2022. As per a press statement, 13 cities across the country will get 5G in the beginning. These 13 cities are Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Gandhinagar, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Jamnagar, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai and Pune.