CIOInsider India Magazine
India Mobile Congress 2023 Leans 5G Roll out in Limelight
The seventh edition of India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2023 has attracted a large number of participants and visitors who want to witness the future of digital transformation. The IMC mega-event presents trends and innovations in the telecommunications, media, and technology sectors. The biggest announcement in India Mobile 2023 is the 5G launch which helps the country’s 5G movement in the limelight. Let us look into the major announcements of IMC 2023.
IMC 2023 on 5G and Beyond
The event will explore the potential of 5G technologies in various sectors such as education, agriculture, healthcare, energy and transport and how it can be adapted to India's specific needs and global demands. It also covers topics related to the semiconductor industry, green technology and cyber security. The event will also play a key role in preparing India's academic and entrepreneurial ecosystem for the upcoming 6G era, as well as developing domestic telecom technology for national security.
IMC 2023 Attracts Global Participation
The event is attended by more than one million participants from 22 countries, including approximately 5,000 CEO-level representatives, 230 exhibitors, 400 startups, and various stakeholders. These participants provide a forum for networking, collaboration, and information sharing among the global telecommunications community.
PM Modi Speaking about India's 5G achievements
Prime Minister Modi opened the event and recalled that India surprised the world last year with the introduction of 5G. He said that India has not stopped after the success of 5G and is working to make it reach every person. He said India has deployed 4, 00,000 5G base stations covering more than 97 percent of cities and 80 percent of the population. He also said that India's average broadband speed has tripled in a year and India has moved from 118th to 43rd in terms of broadband speed. He adds that India is not only expanding its 5G network but also becoming a leader in 6G technology.
4G has changed our lives. Today, we cannot imagine life without data. Working from home was a killer use case for 4G, and we hope such killer use cases for 5G are just around the corner
The first major announcement of the event was the creation of 100 5G labs across India to encourage students, faculty, startups, and SMEs to work on 5G technology in various sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, and others. These laboratories are set up in academic institutions in various states like Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Telangana, Karnataka, and others. Some of the institutions that host these laboratories are IIT Guwahati, IIT Silchar, Delhi University of Technology, Jamia Hamdard University, Birla Institute of Technology Mesra, and others.
Ganesh Lakshminarayanan, CEO, Airtel Business says, “4G has changed our lives. Today, we cannot imagine life without data. Working from home was a killer use case for 4G, and we hope such killer use cases for 5G are just around the corner. We have high expectations for FWA - Airtel has brought a solution to the market and we will continue to focus on scaling it. We also see green shoots from the B2B sector, but the B2C sector has no killer use cases so far.”
Reliance Jio Demonstrates Satellite-Based Broadband
Jio also had an on-screen emergency communication system. Reliance Jio has launched the country's first satellite-based Gigabit broadband service, which can provide high-speed internet in previously inaccessible areas. At the event, Jio showed how they are providing internet to four remote locations: Gir Gujarat, Korba Chhattisgarh, Nabarangpur in Odisha, and Jorhat Assam. So far, there is no information on when the service will be widely available to users.
Reliance Jio Showcases Jio Glass
Reliance Jio also introduced Jio Glass, a mixed-reality headset that was announced at the company's 43rd annual meeting. The device can be used for immersive video conferencing, virtual meetings, training, watching videos, and playing games.
Nokia’s 6G Tech
Nokia unveiled its vision for the future of wireless communications, where 6G technologies create situational awareness that can sense and interact with the environment without compromising privacy. Nokia demonstrated how its 6G network can act as radar that detects objects, people, and movement around the corner and far away. Nokia also introduced its smart and secure rail networks, which use a private wireless network to support advanced signaling and train control systems. It enables faster, safer, and greener transport for Indian commuters.
Ericsson's RedCap Solution
Ericsson presented its new RAN (Radio Access Network) software solution, RedCap, which aims to simplify and extend the battery life of 5G devices while increasing the speed and speed of data communications. RedCap is designed for devices such as smart watches, wearables, industrial sensors, and AR/VR devices that require low power consumption and high performance. Ericsson has partnered with Airtel and Qualcomm to demonstrate the capabilities of RedCap devices on the Airtel 5G networks.
Dr. Thiaw Seng NG, Head of NS Network Evolution, South East Asia, Oceania and India, Ericsson says, “Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) is poised to disrupt the fixed broadband market, with more than 100 service providers now offering FWA over 5G. New capabilities for network slicing, such as event slicing and enterprise slicing, improve services. The XR will also play a role in driving innovation as AR glasses become bigger than smartphones. Inexpensive and low-power 5G devices reduce complexity and extend battery life while providing high data rates and speeds. In India, 5G will enable new services such as digital 3D/AR libraries, immersive replays, hologram messaging, and optimized mobile games.”
Aspire and Robo Blitz
India Mobile Congress 2023 also launched two new initiatives to promote entrepreneurship and skill development of young innovators and engineers. Aspire was a startup program that highlighted the potential of emerging technology in telecommunications and digital. Robot Blitz was a Robot Wars event that challenged participants to show off their robotics skills. These initiatives reflected the event and commitment to nurturing the next generation of leaders and creators in the digital space.
