Government should incentivise telcos to develop their capacities for 5G: Report

The Indian government should allocate funds and incentivise local technology and telecom firms to develop their internal capacities which would in-turn, help 5G technology succeed in the country, said a report by the Cuts International on Friday. The report further said that the industry and the government should think of collectively investing in Research and Development (R&D) to help the local companies become globally competitive. [caption id=“attachment_5110251” align=“alignnone” width=“1024”]  Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 with 5G network. Image: Weibo[/caption] “The Indian government’s 5G initiative is a welcome step and the funds allocated therein should be utilised to further encourage and incentivise local firms to develop their internal capacities and compete in voluntary standard-setting activities,” said the report named “Standards Development and the 5G Opportunity”. “To achieve long-term ambitions, India needs to turn around this situation by initiating specific policy interventions which targets to increase its own competitiveness vis-a-vis SEP (standard essential patent) portfolios rather than undermining those of the current ‘Haves’,” it added. The report called for Indian participation in global standard development organisations, for the betterment of the Indian industry. “The country must also inculcate and emphasise the need of imparting knowledge and skills for standards education and training. India can adequately utilise its higher educational institutions in providing greater education in the area of standardisation,” said the report.