AMN / NEW DELHI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today stressed the need to work together to ensure timely roll-out of next generation 5G technology to leapfrog into the future and empower millions of people in the country. Mr Modi was delivering the inaugural address at the virtual India Mobile Congress (IMC) today.
The India Mobile Congress went virtual this year, keeping with the times. Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, Bharti Enterprises Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal and Vodafone Idea MD and CEO Ravinder Takkar, all spoke about the potential in growing the digital reach and accessibility in India. But, being 5G ready and the pandemic’s contribution to fast-tracking technology were the topics that dominated this year’s India Mobile Congress.
Addressing the event, the Prime Minister gave a call to work together to make India a global hub for telecom equipment, design, development and manufacturing. He said, India has achieved much success in mobile phone manufacturing and it is emerging as one of the most preferred destinations.
Mr Modi cautioned that due to technological upgradation, there is a culture of replacing handsets and gadgets frequently. He called for setting up a task-force to think of a better way of handling the electronic waste and create a circular economy.
The Prime Minister said that the digital potential of the country is immense. He said, with the help of mobile technology, poor and vulnerable sections of the society have been provided help during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Modi said, benefits worth billions of dollars have been provided to millions of Indians and billions of cashless transactions have been made with the help of mobile technology.
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Discussions on 5G and the pandemic’s contribution to fast-tracking technology dominated India Mobile Congress 2020Telco heads highlighted the need for solving issues like low tariff and spectrum availability”There are challenges relating to tariffs, taxes, levies, spectrum pricing and availability,” said Vodafone Idea MD & CEO Ravinder Takkar
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The Prime Minister said, India will launch the world’s biggest COVID-19 vaccination drive with the help of mobile technology. Appreciating the country’s growth in the mobile and internet connectivity sector, Mr. Modi said, India has a billion plus mobile phone users and 750 million internet users. He said, half of total internet users have been added in the last four years. He said, India’s digital appetite is unprecedented and unparalleled and it is important to think and plan how we improve lives with the upcoming technology revolution.
Mukesh Ambani said that policy steps are needed to accelerate early rollout of 5G, and to make it affordable and available everywhere. “I assure you that Reliance Jio will pioneer the 5G revolution in India in the second half of 2021. It will be powered by indigenous-developed network, hardware and technology components. Jio’s 5G service will be a testimony to the Prime Minister’s vision of atmanirbhar Bharat,” announced Ambani.
The theme for IMC 2020 is “Inclusive Innovation – Smart, Secure, Sustainable”. It will be held till the 10th of this month. IMC 2020 aims to align to the Prime Minister’s vision to promote ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’, ‘Digital Inclusivity’, and ‘Sustainable development, entrepreneurship and innovation’. It also aims to drive foreign and local investments, encourage Research and Development in the telecom and emerging technology sectors.