PM launches 5G services, says it is beginning of an infinite sky of opportunities (Ld)

New Delhi, Oct 1 (IANS) As Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched 5G telephony services, India ushered in an era of ultra high-speed Internet.

Addressing the gathering in the presence of industry leaders including Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries Limited; Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman, Bharti Enterprise; Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group and others, the Prime Minister said that the summit might be global but its repercussions and directions are local.

Modi also inaugurated the sixth edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) in New Delhi and also witnessed the IMC Exhibition that was put on the occasion.

"Today, 130 crore Indians are getting a wonderful gift in the form of 5G from the country and from the telecom industry of the country. 5G is a knock on the doors of a new era in the country. 5G is the beginning of an infinite sky of opportunities. I congratulate every Indian for this."

The PM noted with satisfaction that in this launch of 5G and the march of technology, rural areas and workers are equal partners. Stressing on the technological growth that India has been witnessing in the last few years, the Prime Minister said, "New India will not remain a mere consumer of technology, but India will play an active role in the development and implementation of that technology."

The Prime Minister pointed out that India was dependent on other countries for 2G, 3G and 4G technologies. But with 5G, India has created a new history. "With 5G, India is setting a global standard in telecom technology for the first time," he remarked.

Talking about Digital India, the Prime Minister said that some people think that this is just a government scheme. "But Digital India is not just a name, it is a big vision for the development of the country. The goal of this vision is to bring that technology to the common people, which works for the people, works by connecting with the people."

Focussing on the need for a holistic approach to Digital India, the Prime Minister elaborated "We focused on four pillars, in four directions at once. First, the price of the device; second, digital connectivity; third, the cost of data; fourth, and most importantly, the idea of 'digital first' .

Regarding the first pillar, the Prime Minister said that the low cost of devices can only be achieved through Aatmnirbharta. The Prime Minister recalled that there were only two mobile manufacturing units in India till eight years ago. "These numbers have now gone up to 200," Modi said.

The Prime Minister underlined that from exporting zero mobile phones in 2014, today we have become a mobile phone exporting country worth thousands of crores. "Naturally, all these efforts have had an impact on the cost of the device. Now we have started getting more features at a lower cost," he added.

Modi also mentioned that India had 25 crore Internet connections back in 2014; a number that has now increased to 85 crore. More Internet users are coming onboard from rural areas. 5G will play a key role in how users new and old will benefit from the Internet and its possibilities.

"Many people used to make fun of my Aatmanirbhar Bharat - but we increased mobile phone manufacturing units in India. 8 years back, there were only two mobile manufacturing units. Today there are over 200 units in India. We are at number 2 in the world and are exporting our mobile phone to the world," said the PM.

PM Modi also virtually interacted with Metro workers, who were present inside a Metro tunnel, via 5G technology.

The Prime Minister said that the cost of data is among the lowest in the world. It has come down from 300 rupees per GB to about 10 rupees per GB. Remarking on the consumer-centric focussed efforts of the government, the Prime Minister said that the cost of data in India has remained very low due.