- The internet revolution witnessed courtesy of the mind-boggling innovations in the field of information technology has completely altered the way the global community goes about its day-to-day functioning vis-à-vis information sharing as well as communication exchanges on a variety of aspects. The internet penetration around the globe is spectacular enabling people to access people-friendly information at the touch of a smartphone screen. Such has been the profound impact of technology that nothing appears to move without smart solutions coming in handy at every step. And no one is complaining either.
PC: Tech Dirt Blog
- None will complain as governments to have embraced the fast-evolving technology to press ahead with their various welfare schemes reaching directly to the end users. Indeed, the Indian population equally benefitted in more than one way. The fifth generation (5G) services are the latest in the internet services that were launched in India this festival season marking another big step in the country’s telecom journey. The 5G technology is bound to further provide customers with a never-seen-before experience in accessing information, communication, as well as entertainment mediums.
- Airtel has launched its non-standalone 5G network (in the mode, 5G is offered on existing 4G networks) in eight cities while Jio’s standalone 5G network (a new network for 5G) is coming this Diwali in four metros. Another big player in Vodafone-Idea hasn’t revealed a timeline yet. Tariffs remain unclear and the pan-India rollout could stretch into 2024 by all indications available. Looking back will reveal that great changes have happened in the six-year-long 4G reign, none more striking than the ubiquity of video in our lives. Thus, 5G’s promise of fast download speeds, low latency (network delay), and immersive experiences will feed into big data applications like autonomous devices, robots, virtual and augmented reality, and cloud-based healthcare services.
PC: Gov Tech
- Yes, these technologies are still far from mass adoption, like 4G it could be a case of cometh the speed, cometh the usage. Hopefully, just as Jio’s entry expedited the struggling telecom sector’s 4G transition while keeping tariffs affordable, 5G’s trajectory could be similar too. By now telecom companies know there’s a huge market for high-speed data, provided tariffs are reasonable. How does the technology unfold itself? Looking around will suggest that the 5G transition has happened in stages across countries. Most operators begin with non-standalone 5G and then transition to standalone 5G.
- Reports mention only 18 countries had 5G standalone networks until July. There’s also the question of what mix of 5G options will work best for service providers and consumers, including businesses. Jio’s strategy of purchasing large quantities of low-band spectrum and Airtel’s to catch up with Jio in the 5G rollout by adopting cheaper non-standalone 5G suggest an intense race for customers. Mind you, India’s digitalization move will get a huge fillip by 5G speed-powered deployment of technologies like AI, which in turn can induce domestic innovations in this field. Exciting times are ahead for sure. Let’s brace up for the 5G technology to strike us.
