Speaking at the silver jubilee event of Trai, Modi said governance, growth, and GDP had gained immensely from lower telecom tariffs and greater reach of mobile internet and smartphones across the length and breadth of the country.
He said telecom services had got a booster after his government took charge in 2014, against the days of the previous UPA regime, which he called the “2G era that was full of disappointment, desperation, corruption, and policy paralysis”.
“Today, we have moved out of that period and gained from the rollout of 3G, and thereafter 4G, and are now moving to 5G and 6G. This transition has been smooth, and very transparent. ”
The Prime Minister, who inaugurated the indigenously developed 5G test bed, said efforts should be made to do research and development on new technologies within the country, and asked startups and top educational institutions to take a lead on the issue.
“In 21st century India, connectivity will decide the pace of development of the country. That’s why connectivity has to be modernised at every step… 5G will help in driving in governance, ease of living, ease of doing business… and also in areas such as agriculture, health, education, infrastructure, and logistics. ”
He said that over the next decade and a half, 5G will add $450 billion to India’s GDP. “That means it will not only boost the pace of internet speed, but also aid in growth and job creation. ”
PM said that higher competition between mobile companies has helped in getting tariffs down. “We created competition… and due to this, today we are one of the cheapest data providers in the world. ”
