5G launch in India confirmed! PM Modi to roll out 5G on Oct 1

The rollout of 5G services in India has been finally confirmed by the government's National Broadband Mission via a tweet. The 5G services will be launched on October 1 at India Mobile Congress in Pragati Maidan by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Taking India’s digital transformation & connectivity to new heights, Hon'ble PM, @narendramodi, will roll out 5G services in India; at India Mobile Congress; Asia’s largest technology exhibition," the tweet by National Broadband Mission, which operates under the Ministry of Communications reads.

The launch of 5G services will be introduced during the four-day event starting from October 1. PM Narendra Modi will share the stage with top telecom companies’ chiefs including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea. They are expected to share their plans and views on 5G for the country. Union ministers including, Electronics and Information Technology Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will be at the event.

What is IMC 2022

India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2022 is aimed at “the evolution path of existing technology and what it holds for businesses and individuals for the future through meaningful dialogues”. The IMC conference is scheduled for October 1-October 4, 2022, which is claimed to be the largest telecom, media, and technology forum in Asia. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) have jointly organised the event.

Roll out of 5G services in India

The Department of Telecommunications had received total bids worth ₹1.50 lakh crore in August, 2022 during the 5G spectrum auction. The four giant telecom companies, namely Reliance Jio, Adani group, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea were the participants in the 5G spectrum auction.

In terms of expansion of the 5G services, every telecom company has its own plan. Reliance Jio is expected to roll out Jio 5G services across multiple key cities in India including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai by Diwali. While Bharti Airtel chief executive Gopal Vittal mentioned earlier this month that the company is planning for full deployment in most major cities across India by the end of 2023.