The 5G tug of war

DoT is in a hurry, but the industry should be given time

The department of telecommunications (DoT) is unhappy with mobile phone operators for pushing back 5G auctions, when the government is trying hard to ensure that India doesn’t trail the world on the commercial roll-out of the new technology, like it did with 3G and 4G. India has been pushing for a roll-out of 5G telecom services ahead of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) finalising the tech standards in 2019. The DoT’s ambition is laudable as telcos in India cannot ignore future technologies such as 5G at a time when the US, the UK, China, Singapore and others are planning pilots