PM Modi: “Ab Bharat 6G ki tayaari kar raha hai”, and other telecom industry highlights from PM Modi’s Independence Day speech

On the occasion of 77th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed to the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort in New Delhi, highlighting the remarkable strides the country has made in the technological landscape and emphasizing the significance of a digitally empowered India.

In his address, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the remarkable transformation in India’s digital landscape. He underscored the rapid strides made in bringing internet connectivity to the remotest corners of the country and internet reaching to every village, ensuring that the benefits of the digital revolution reach every citizen.
The Prime Minister mentioned the days when internet data tariff rate before 2014 was prohibitively expensive and contrasted it with the present, where India boasts the world’s most affordable internet data rates. He noted that this reduction in costs has resulted in significant savings for every family across the country.

PM Modi also highlighted the Nation’s rapid progress towards 5G rollout and mentioned that 5G rollout is the fastest and has covered more than 700 districts across the country.
He also outlined the ambitious goal of advancing towards 6G technology and talked about the constitution of a dedicated task force to drive this initiative forward. Here are the key highights from PM’s address to the nation:
* Fastest rollout of 5G services in the world. The 5G services are available in more than 700 districts. The 500 BTSs (3G/4G) are installed per day since 2014, while 5G sites installed at a rate of about 1,000 sites per day.
* Latest technology 5G networks have been rolled out at the fastest ever pace to enable high-speed broadband services.
* Initiatives have been taken to lead the development of 6G standards. Earlier this year, PM Modi launched the ‘Bharat 6G Vision’ document, and the Department of Telecom (DoT) constituted a task-force called ‘Bharat 6G Alliance’. India followed the world in 4G, marched with the world in 5G and now aims to lead the world in 6G
* Mobile data tariff has reduced from Rs 269/GB (2014) to Rs 10.1/GB (2023). Tariffs for mobile services reduced exponentially. India now has the third lowest Average Data Tariff (per GB)
* For the North-Eastern Region, Border areas, LWE-affected areas, Aspirational Districts and other remote places, special efforts have been made in providing quality telecom connectivity and infrastructure in our Islands.