Explained: As PM Modi launches 5G, how it will transform the way we use data

A new era of technology has dawned in India with Prime Minister Narendra Modi launching 5G services at New Delhi’s Pragati Maidan today. The big launch took place at the sixth edition of the India Mobile Congress at New Delhi’s Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.

#WATCH | PM Modi inspects an exhibition at Pragati Maidan where he will inaugurate the sixth edition of the Indian Mobile Congress (IMC) and launch 5G services shortly.

Chairman of Reliance Jio, Akash Ambani briefs the PM on the shortly-to-be-launched 5G services.

(Source: DD) pic.twitter.com/tjF0RWfZV9

— ANI (@ANI) October 1, 2022

5G services will roll out in 13 cities first. The list includes: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Pune, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad and Jamnagar.

5G will progressively cover the entire country over the next couple of years, as per PTI.

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Modi had during his Independence Day address from the ramparts of the Red Fort, said that the 5G services will be launched in India soon. As per Free Press Journal, Union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had in August said that 5G services will be hopefully launched in India by 12 October. “Hopefully, we should be launching 5G services by 12 October and then would further scale up in cities and towns,” Vaishnav was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. “We are planning to roll out 5G services rapidly, telecom operators are working in that regard and installations are being done,” Vaishnav added. The companies had aggressively bid for 5G auctions, which concluded on 1 August, and bought airwaves in various 4G and 5G bands (a total of 51.27 GHz) sold at the total price of ₹1.5-lakh crore. Here’s everything you need to know about 5G’s significance to India and the controversies surrounding it: What is 5G? 5G or fifth generation is the latest upgrade in the long-term evolution (LTE) mobile broadband networks. As per US-based semiconductors and wireless tech major Qualcomm, 5G is a global wireless network expected to deliver ultra-low latency (the delay users face as data make a round trip), increased reliability, more network capacity and availability.

5G internet services are believed to be about 10 times faster than its predecessor 4G.

5G services deliver up to 20 GBPS, or gigabytes per second, peak data transfer speeds and 100+ MBPS, or megabytes per second, on average, as per Hindustan Times. How does it work? 5G works in three bands: low, mid and high frequency spectrum. As per Indian Express, while the low band spectrum has shown great promise in terms of coverage and speed of internet and data exchange, the maximum speed is limited to 100 Mbps (Megabits per second). This means that while telcos can use and install it for commercial cellphone users who may not have specific demands for very high speed internet, the low band spectrum may not be optimal for specialised needs of the industry. The mid-band spectrum, on the other hand, offers higher speeds compared to the low band, but has limitations in terms of coverage area and penetration of signals. Telcos and companies, which have taken the lead on 5G, have indicated that this band may be used by industries and specialised factory units for building captive networks that can be moulded into the needs of that particular industry. The high-band spectrum offers the highest speed of all the three bands, but has extremely limited coverage and signal penetration strength. Internet speeds in the high-band spectrum of 5G has been tested to be as high as 20 Gbps (giga bits per second), while, in most cases, the maximum internet data speed in 4G has been recorded at 1 Gbps, as per the report. [caption id=“attachment_10698101” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  In US and UK, service providers are using the mid-tier spectrums of High 5G Frequency, which allows users to make 5G calls, and use some portion of 5G internet speeds.[/caption] Operators in India and its cost There are a few operators that will provide 5G services to its customers. Reliance Jio, which was the top spender at this year’s 5G spectrum auctions bidding an amount of more than Rs 88,000 crore, said in August that it will roll out high-speed mobile internet services on its 5G network by Diwali. Bharti Airtel which was the second highest spender in the auction has said that 5G will be available on its network in all urban parts of the country by the end of 2023. Vodafone Idea (VI) is also working hard to launch its 5G service soon. So, how much will customers have to pay for 5G? Vodafone Idea (VIL) Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Ravinder Takkar, said that since the company has spent a significant amount in acquiring spectrum, there is a need to charge a premium for 5G services. Reliance’s Mukesh Ambani had said during their Annual General Meeting (AGM) that 5G should not be limited to just elite few and should be made available for all, indicating that the service would be afforadble. However, none of the telcos have provided any answers to the actual costs and we shall just have to wait to find out. Which cities are likely to get 5G right away? According to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), 13 cities will likely get 5G right off the bat: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Gandhinagar, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Jamnagar, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai and Pune. Why is it important?

The cumulative economic impact of 5G on India is estimated to reach $450 billion by 2035.

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It is designed in such a way that it also supports new services such as mission-critical communications and the massive IoT (Internet of things). Eighty crore subscribers have access to broadband today compared to ten crore subscribers in 2014. A 5G world could be vastly different than the one we currently live in. Picture self-driving cars, robotic surgeries and smart city infrastructure. As per the government, the upcoming 5G services have the potential to create new age businesses, generate additional revenue for enterprises and provide employment arising from the deployment of innovative use-cases and technologies. The government noted that broadband, especially mobile broadband, has become an integral part of the daily lives of the citizens. This received a big boost through the rapid expansion of 4G services across the country since 2015. Experts differ on which country leads in the commercial use of 5G, but agree that the top nations are China, South Korea (the first to launch in 2019), the United Kingdom and the United States.

In late October 2019, China rolled out the commercial use of 5G in 50 cities.

Controversies over 5G In January, travel plans of thousands of passengers were disrupted after several airlines cancelled flights to and from the US over the deployment of 5G. As per Pro Publica, the aviation industry warned 5G signals over new C-band networks could interfere with aircraft safety equipment, causing jetliners to tumble from the sky or speed off the end of runways.

Aviation experts warned of “catastrophic failures leading to multiple fatalities.”

[caption id=“attachment_10134481” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  Representational image. PTI[/caption] Disaster was averted after  nail-biting negotiations involving CEOs, a Cabinet secretary and White House aides, an eleventh-hour agreement averted these threats of aviation Armageddon, as per the report. Verizon and AT&T agreed not to turn on more than 600 5G transmission towers near the runways of 87 airports and to reduce the power of others.

That controversy hasn’t been put to bed yet.

As per Simple Flying, the US Federal Aviation Authority wants to remove 5G sensitive equipment from aircraft. The FAA is set to have a meeting to discuss how to ensure that 5G technology will not interfere with aircraft equipment after the six-month buffer ends on 5 July. An FAA spokesperson told Simple Flying, “The FAA hosted a roundtable discussion with about 40 aviation and wireless industry representatives on Wednesday to consider the next steps in the continued safe coexistence of aviation and 5G C-band wireless service. The groups had a wide-ranging and positive discussion and will continue to collaborate as they work to address the remaining technical challenges.” Fake COVID claims False claims about 5G causing novel coronavirus have been made in Facebook posts shared thousands of times, including a photograph of a poster accusing 5G network towers of being “the real cause for the virus deaths”. Notably, not only did the novel coronavirus not get its start in pioneering South Korea, but the virus has gained a foothold in many countries (for example, Malaysia, Iran, France, Singapore and Nigeria) without 5G networks. No health concerns, say experts Experts have also dismissed any health concerns for consumers. Fabien Heliot, a researcher who specialises in electromagnetic exposure in wireless communication at the University of Surrey, told AFP that “the possible side-effects of 5G are the same as 4G, 3G, 2G, Wi-Fi; all these wireless communication technologies use EM waveform that radiates energy”.

He said 5G radiations are not as severe as “CT scan or x-ray technologies” which are used in medical care.

The World Health Organisation’s website states that “a large number of studies have been performed over the last two decades to assess whether mobile phones pose a potential health risk. To date, no adverse health effects have been established as being caused by mobile phone use”. Regarding 5G, the WHO states: “Health-related conclusions are drawn from studies performed across the entire radio spectrum but, so far, only a few studies have been carried out at the frequencies to be used by 5G. “Tissue heating is the main mechanism of interaction between radiofrequency fields and the human body. Radiofrequency exposure levels from current technologies result in negligible temperature rise in the human body. “As the frequency increases, there is less penetration into the body tissues and absorption of the energy becomes more confined to the surface of the body (skin and eye). Provided that the overall exposure remains below international guidelines, no consequences for public health are anticipated.” But some countries are remaining cautious: France’s Agency for Health and Safety highlighted a need for more data before 5G could be rolled out in the country.

Disclaimer: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd which publishes Firstpost

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