IMC 2024 and WTSA Start: PM Modi Talks About 6G, Digital India Initiative, and more

India Mobile Congress 2024 kicked off today in New Delhi and promises to be a pivotal event in the telecommunications and technology landscape. This year, Airtel proudly presents ‘Future in Motion,’ a powerful theme deeply aligned with the Digital India vision.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the event and the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA). This is the first time the International Telecommunication Union has organized the event in India and the Asia-Pacific.

Union Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia also accompanies the prime minister. Additionally, Akash Ambani, Reliance Jio Infocomm’s chairman and billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s son, addressed the gathering at IMC 2024.

"We march with the world in #5G, but we shall lead the world in 6G" – @JM_Scindia @Officejmscindia

“In India, 5G is anticipated to inject an astounding 450 billion dollars into the economy by 2040. We have rolled out 5G across all 36 states & UTs covering 98% of our districts… pic.twitter.com/YzOQDLJ5Vn

— India Mobile Congress (@exploreIMC) October 15, 2024

The 8th edition of the India Mobile Congress will bring together industry leaders, innovators, and policymakers to discuss and showcase a diverse range of advancements. From 6G to artificial intelligence, IoT, semiconductors, cybersecurity, green tech, sitcoms, and more, the event promises to be a comprehensive exploration of the latest in digital technology.

Announcements at India Mobile Congress 2024:

Digital India initiative:

PM Modi talked about the Digital India initiative, which has four main pillars: making devices more affordable, connecting every part of the country digitally, making data accessible to all, and prioritizing digital solutions. He also highlighted the importance of consensus and connectivity in today’s world, especially in the context of the WTSA and India Mobile Congress events.

In addition, PM Modi mentioned that telecom services in India aim to promote equity and opportunity, not just connectivity. The Digital India initiative, launched in 2015, aims to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy by improving online infrastructure and internet connectivity.

Smartphone Manufacturing:

India has made significant progress in smartphone manufacturing in recent years. The country has gone from having just two mobile manufacturing units in 2014 to over 200 units today, with many global brands setting up their manufacturing facilities in India. Moreover, India is now the second-largest mobile phone manufacturer in the world, with many mobile phone manufacturing units established on its soil.

The Indian government’s “Make in India” initiative has been a key driver of this growth, providing incentives and support to companies looking to set up manufacturing facilities in the country.

Digital Infrastructure & Reforms in Telecom Sector:

India has made significant progress in expanding its digital infrastructure over the past decade. The country has laid an extensive network of optical fibers, spanning a distance eight times longer than the distance between the Earth and the Moon. In 2022, India launched 5G services at the India Mobile Congress, and since then, every district in the country has been connected to 5G. India has now become a 5G market and is rapidly advancing towards developing 6G technology.

Furthermore, reforms in the telecom sector have led to a substantial decrease in internet data costs. Currently, mobile data in India costs 12 cents per GB, which is significantly lower than in other countries where one GB of data can cost ten times more. On average, Indians consume around 30 GB of data every month, indicating a growing demand for digital services.

GSS 2024 calls for collaboration on international standards, paving way for sustainable development of emerging digital technologies Standards to focus on positive outcomes for humanity

The standards we establish are more than just technical standards, but they are moral… pic.twitter.com/II16XwIViE

— PIB India (@PIB_India) October 15, 2024

Broadband Connectivity:

India has seen a massive growth in mobile connections, from 904 million to 1.16 billion, and broadband connectivity has risen to 924 million users. The country’s optic fiber cables have grown from 11 million to 41 million route kilometers, indicating a significant improvement in digital infrastructure. Furthermore, India has achieved the fastest 5G rollout, covering 98% of districts and 90% of villages in just 21 months.

The government aims to expand 4G connectivity across the country by next year, building on the success of the 5G rollout. These advancements have been accompanied by the growth of digital payment systems, such as the UPI interface, and the development of a 4G stack.

Artificial Intelligence:

Akash Ambani emphasized the transformative power of artificial intelligence, envisioning it revolutionizing every aspect of our lives and ushering in unprecedented prosperity. He believes India can harness AI to become a global hub for cutting-edge manufacturing and services. Achieving the ambitious goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047 relies heavily on embracing AI with a comprehensive strategy fueled by self-reliance.

Ambani’s second point highlights the exponential growth potential of multilingual data generation in India, propelling the AI revolution forward. He urges the government to expedite the 2020 data center policy update to ensure that Indian data is stored in domestic data centers. This will enable Indian companies to establish AI and ML data centers, and Ambani advocates for providing them with necessary incentives, including those for power consumption.

"We march with the world in #5G, but we shall lead the world in 6G" – @JM_Scindia @Officejmscindia

“In India, 5G is anticipated to inject an astounding 450 billion dollars into the economy by 2040. We have rolled out 5G across all 36 states & UTs covering 98% of our districts… pic.twitter.com/YzOQDLJ5Vn

— India Mobile Congress (@exploreIMC) October 15, 2024

5G Connectivity:

According to Sunil Bharti Mittal, chairman of Bharti Airtel, India is on track to have 5G connectivity across the entire country within the next 12 to 18 months. The government aims to provide world-class connectivity to every remote village and person in the country, with 92.5% of the rural population already covered with 4G mobile signal. The 5G rollout is expected to bring high-speed network coverage to mountains, enabling real-time disaster management and surveillance,

Space Industry:

Terrestrial services have limitations in covering every nook and corner of the country, but with the launch of low-earth orbit networks, even the most remote areas will have access to 4G speeds and massive capacities. Currently, 95% of India’s population has some form of internet connectivity, but there are still 5% who lack access, mostly in remote areas. The Indian government and companies like Starlink and OneWeb are working to change this by launching satellite-based internet services that will reach every corner of the country.

SMEs:

Vodafone Idea is helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) assess their digital readiness through its “Vi Business Ready for Next” program, which focuses on technologies like 5G, IoT, AI, and cloud services. India has made significant progress in digital healthcare, achieving 10 crore tele-consultations last year, a milestone that Kumar Mangalam Birla highlighted at IMC 2024. To tackle the growing issue of phishing attempts, fraudulent calls, and spam messages, Vodafone Idea is working closely with the government and regulatory bodies to protect the public.

Vodafone Idea is also taking steps to prevent fraud and protect its customers. For instance, the company warns customers not to respond to suspicious SMS or calls from unknown numbers and not to share personal information or OTP with anyone. Additionally, customers can activate the Do Not Disturb (DND) feature to block unwanted commercial communications.