New Delhi [India], December 27 : With a subscriber base of 1.2 billion, the Indian telecom sector is now delving into Artificial Intelligence (AI) and pioneering 6G advancements. The sector has been on an extraordinary growth trajectory with average monthly wireless data usage soaring to 21.30 GB per user by October 2024.
According Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the deployment of over 4,60,592 5G BTS sites has propelled 5G user numbers past 125 million, with projections estimating a rise to 350 million by 2026.
Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), a key 5G use case, also saw rapid adoption, reaching nearly 3 million connections within a year. The telecom sector, contributing significantly to India's GDP and providing employment to over 4 million people, is now delving into Artificial Intelligence (AI) and pioneering 6G advancements.
Over 55 per cent of TMT (Technology, Media, and Telecommunications) companies in India have fully integrated AI, with another 37 per cent in the scaling phase, per KPMG India.
Through the Bharat 6G Vision initiative, the government aims to secure 10 per cent of global 6G patents and is actively fostering research via funding for advanced testbeds and evaluating proposals to accelerate ecosystem development.
As per COAI, despite these milestones, the telecom industry faces significant hurdles. Large Traffic Generators (LTGs) burden networks, forcing Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) to invest Rs10,000 crore in 2023. The lack of LTG contributions has cost the Indian exchequer Rs800 crore in AGR dues and taxes.
The Industry body has also complained about the unregulated OTT communication platforms. COAI says it creates disparities, as TSPs adhere to strict security norms. Enforcing traceability and privacy rules for OTT services is imperative to ensure fairness.
The 6 GHz spectrum band, crucial for 5G, requires immediate allocation to mobile networks, while concerns over unauthorized Wi-Fi 6E routers sold online also demand resolution.
Infrastructure constraints, RoW challenges, and spectrum interference hinder network rollouts, with the newly proposed QoS norms viewed as impractical by TSPs.
While TSPs comply with TRAI's directives to curb spam, extending UCC regulations to OTT services is critical to address the root cause of pesky calls and messages.
COAI urges transparent spectrum auctions to integrate D2M with telecom networks, opposing the creation of standalone broadcasting networks.
Government initiatives such as abolishing the Wireless Operating License (WOL) and waving bank guarantee requirements for deferred spectrum payments since 2012 have alleviated financial burdens. However, the Supreme Court's ruling on tax credits for telecom tower components also provided significant relief.
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