NEW DELHI: The battle over an India specific 5G standard, called 5G1, appears to be coming to a head. Most telecom companies say the cost of investing in 5Gi compatible equipment would be prohibitive given their already stressed financial condition. There are also concerns that consumers may have to fork out more to upgrade to 5Gi cell phones.
In a frank chat on The Gist, Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi, director of IIT Madras and chairman of the Telecom Standards Development Society, says these fears are unwarranted and 5Gi equipment would be compatible with the standard 5G networks.
India sees 5Gi as bringing rural parts of the country on the same platform as in urban areas, and this is necessary to ensure the vast largely undeveloped hinterland is put on the fast track for communication.
Tune in to this conversation with Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi on StratNewsGlobal’s The Gist show.
