India has achieved a significant milestone in the field of telecommunications, emerging as the country with the second-largest 5G network in the world. The government announced that this accomplishment is a result of the fastest 5G rollout, with 300,000 sites established within a mere 10 months.
Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw took to the social media platform Koo to share the news. He expressed his enthusiasm for the world's fastest 5G rollout, which has led to the installation of over 3 lakh sites across 714 districts in India, making it the world's second-largest 5G ecosystem.
According to data presented in Parliament, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have successfully set up 2.8 lakh sites as of July.
The Department of Telecom has been closely monitoring the 5G network rollout's progress, focusing on its expansion across districts. As of July 7, 5G networks have been introduced in 717 districts, spanning the entire country.
To accelerate the 5G rollout further, the government has implemented various initiatives. Minister of State, Devusinh Chauhan, highlighted the measures taken to streamline the process, such as simplifying the procedure for SACFA clearance for low Power Base Transceiver Station (BTS) and small cells.
Moreover, the Department of Telecom has established an Inter-Ministerial Committee to explore and implement sector-specific 5G use cases. Communications have been sent to various ministries, including Health, Sports, Agriculture, and Heavy Industries, encouraging them to harness the potential of 5G technology effectively.
The envisioned use cases encompass a wide array of sectors, including education, agriculture, health, power, urban management, mining, logistics, resource management, tourism, sports, security, and e-governance.