India will launch 6G telecom network by the end of the decade, says Prime Minister Modi

India is watching the rollout of the 6G telecom network, which will provide high-speed internet connectivity by the end of the decade, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday.

India currently has 3G and 4G telecom networks and companies are gearing up to launch 5G in the next few months.

Speaking at the Silver Jubilee function of telecom sector regulator TRAI here, he said that the 5G network rollout is expected to add $ 450 billion to the Indian economy.

“It is not only increasing the speed of the internet but also speeding up development and creating jobs,” he said, adding that 5G technology would bring about a positive change in the country’s governance, ease of living and ease of doing business.

He said it would boost growth in agriculture, health, education, infrastructure and logistics.

Connectivity, Modi said, will determine the country’s progress in the 21st century and so modern day infrastructure needs to be introduced.

According to the Prime Minister, a task force has started work on launching 6G networks by the end of the decade.

Aiming at the previous Congress-led UPA government, Modi said that the 2G era was a symbol of policy paralysis and corruption.

Under his government the country has clearly moved to 4G and is now moving to 5G.

Teledensity and Internet users are expanding rapidly, he said, adding that mobile manufacturing units in India have expanded from 2 to more than 200 and the country is now the largest mobile manufacturing hub in the world.

The Prime Minister further said that his government has encouraged healthy competition which has resulted in India having one of the cheapest telecom data charges in the world.

The domestic 5G test bed is an important step towards India’s self-reliance in the telecom sector, he added.