Programme Powering progress for the India is advancing quickly in the technology sector with one of the fastest roll-outs of the fifth-generation or 5G networks in the world and is witnessing digital transformation across all sectors, said Neeraj Mittal, Secretary, Department of Telecommunications (DOT) at the just concluded Mobile World Congress 2024 (MWC 2024) in Spain. The India delegation, led by the telecom secretary, held bilateral meetings with Nokia, Ericsson, Cisco, and Qualcomm focused on joint initiatives in 6G standardisation, innovation, and the development of artificial intelligence (AI)-based 5G use cases, the Ministry of Communications said in an official statement.
“They also engaged with Airtel and Mavenir aimed at exploring partnerships in telecom product supply and conducting Proof of Concept (POC) for railway projects,” the ministry said. The statement said that the delegation also held discussions with Intel focused on developing AI-based 5G use cases and exploring possibilities for joint research projects. “Engagements with international organizations such as the World Bank and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) emphasized digital development partnerships and collaborative efforts in information and communications technology (ICT) development,” the ministry said.
He also met the World Bank delegation led by Guangzhe Chen, VP for infrastructure, and Christine, Director, Digital development global practice at the mega telecom and technology conference held from February 26 to February 29 in Barcelona, Spain. He termed it as “exciting discussions on collaboration and global development”, according to the ministry’s statement. Mittal highlighted the BharatNet and 4G saturation projects showcasing India’s commitment to bridging the digital divide and underlined the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to combat fake mobile connections, and embracing regulatory sandboxes to underscore the proactive policy- making approach to keep pace with tech advancement, as per the statement.
Additionally, the telecom secretary also delivered a keynote presentation at a GSMA ministerial program, which elaborated on India’s journey in 5G deployments, showcasing the government’s initiatives such as the establishment of 100 5G labs and various reforms aimed at facilitating ease of doing business, the ministry said in its statement. In a round table discussion by GSMA, the DoT secretary highlighted India’s efforts in spectrum management and affordability reforms, including auction methodologies and spectrum re-farming, as per the statement. “During a panel debate on “Building Digital: How governments are innovating for citizens,” Deputy NSA Anne Neuberger of the USA applauded India’s expeditious allocation of spectrum,” the Ministry of Communications said.
Neuberger also visited the Bharat Pavilion at MWC 2024 and “commended India’s telecom rollouts and digital transformation efforts“, the Ministry of Communications said. She also saw a technology demonstration at C-DoT (Centre for Development of Telematics) on cell broadcast and cyber security mitigation modules of the C-DoT.
