Explained | Why is India taking 6G seriously?
The HinduThe story so far: On March 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the Bharat 6G Vision Document, a starting point for policymakers and the industry to gear up for the next generation of telecommunications. Another key motivation is the delay in previous generations of telecommunications technology rolling out in India — 5G started rolling out here years after countries like South Korea and the United States had already blanketed their major urban areas with high-speed wireless connectivity. India does not want a repeat of that; the government even says in the 6G vision document that it wants to make sure it grabs 6G “from the oven”. Beyond encouraging greater participation in standardisation discussions, the vision document says the government will financially support “research pathways” where breakthroughs are most likely to advance connectivity goals, leveraging talent in academia and companies. The Indian 6G Vision paper cites Europe’s equivalent of the document, saying that “The overarching Vision is to ensure leadership in strategic areas and establish secure and trusted access to key technologies making Europe a sovereign, independent, and reliable source for 6G public and private network solutions and services.”