Bridging the Digital Divide: The Expansion of 5G in Remote Areas

Although 5G is altering the mobile communications game, there remains one remaining gap: connectivity in remote locations. This application scenario has significant societal and economic implications, and 5G should be capable of meeting its requirements in the near future. Billions of people dwell in undeveloped or neglected locations, unable to reap the benefits of the Digital Era. 

 

A dependable and cost-effective 5G for Remote Areas Network would allow these individuals to participate in the digital world, opening up new markets for operators and opportunities for vendors. In addition, agriculture demands more efficiency from the fields, and the capacity to collect data and remotely regulate the machinery and systems (such as watering) is necessary.

 

A quick refresher: What is 5G?

 

If you haven't read the first piece in this series, you may need a reminder on what 5G is and isn't. The name "5G" does not relate to a specific frequency band; rather, it defines the communications protocol utilized, as did 2G, 3G, and 4G before it. You may also see the term 5G NR, which simply means "fifth generation, new radio"; the two names are equivalent. Fortunately, unlike previous generations, there are no competing standards; 5G is simply 5G.

 

5G (fifth-generation mobile technology) is a new cellular network standard developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3FPP) in 2018 to replace the preceding standards 3G, 4G, and 4G LTE. Its purpose was to create a new set of standards for devices and applications that function with 5G networks. 5G, like its predecessors, uses radio waves to transfer data. However, due to improvements in latency, throughput, and capacity, 5G networks can achieve substantially faster download and upload speeds, allowing them to support a much broader range of applications.  

 

How is 5G revolutionizing in Remote India? 

 

Technology is important to level the playing field for the two Indias - rural and urban - and offer up a treasure trove of prospects for communities in villages.India's digital economy is expected to reach $1 trillion by 2025. However, this can only be possible if India transforms its digital infrastructure on a large scale. This is where the function of 5G technology becomes clear.

 

Some of the ways in which 5G is revolutionizing the indian rural sector-

 

1. Agriculture

 

In retrospect, we can clearly see that India's agricultural industry has failed to keep up with evolving technologies in the global market. According to the UN, using 5G and IoT technologies as part of the rural empowerment strategy in the agricultural sector around the world by 2050 can result in a 70% increase in food production, enough to sustain the world's rising population. Deploying 5G-enabled smart sensors in the farming field allows you to collect real-time information such as soil state, temperature, and humidity, which can then be used to maintain crops healthy and enhance yields.

 

2. Education

 

With the growth of technology, the education sector is seeing significant changes. 5G technology has far-reaching implications beyond industry, automobiles, and healthcare. It will also have a significant impact on the education business, encouraging quality education and a variety of learning possibilities. 5G has the potential to significantly transform the education sector by improving remote learning opportunities. It is difficult to attain equal teaching quality across India, especially in rural areas. With 5G, high-quality interactive virtual classrooms and information can be transmitted from anywhere in India, bridging the rural-urban divide. This means that using 5G can help to reduce physical location limits for experimental activities and information sharing.

 

3. Healthcare

 

Patients in rural locations may struggle to visit doctors due to a lack of transportation and the scarcity of good hospitals. However, as remote home monitoring devices, telemedicine, and 5G become increasingly prevalent in rural areas, patients can receive care without leaving their homes. Doctors can now make suggestions and even issue prescriptions using video chats. While 4G can be used, 5G can enhance the experience in a variety of ways. Expert surgeons and doctors can employ remote robots to service patients in rural hospitals, thanks to AR, VR, and mixed reality technology.

 

4. Women's empowerment

 

My experience in rural communities has taught me that our women are a strong force who, given the right opportunity, can uplift their communities. For example, digital and financial literacy programmes have helped Angrekond, a village in Raigad, establish self-help groups of 30 women. They were once homemakers but are now self-made entrepreneurs. Many non-profit organizations are working with technology businesses to help rural people, particularly women. These networks provide communities to online skill training through YouTube and social messaging apps, encouraging people to become entrepreneurs and operate small enterprises.

 

Also Read | Unlocking the Potential of 5G Technology: Transforming IT Infrastructure

 

5G’s Rollout in India

 

Since the 5G spectrum procurement procedure concluded, the telecom sector appears to be vying over who will introduce 5G first. According to the Department of Telecom (DoT), 5G will be rolled out in 13 cities during the initial phase. That said, let's look at where 5G will be available and what service providers have to say about it.

 

In terms of availability, 5G will be rolled out in 13 Indian cities in the first phase, including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Pune, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, and Jamnagar, before being expanded worldwide. The Department of Telecom stated that it earned more than Rs 1,50,173 crore from the 5G spectrum auction.

 

Airtel spent roughly Rs 43,084 crore and will pay payments of Rs 8,312.4 crore over the next four years. The company also announced that it will launch 5G by the end of August. 'Given our operating free cash flow, this four-year upfront payment enables us to accelerate the 5G deployment. Airtel will also get Rs 15,740.5 crore in capital from a yet-to-be-named rights issue, according to Gopal Vittai, MD and CEO of Bharti Airtel Ltd, in a press statement.

 

Reliance Jio is likely to make an announcement on 5G availability at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) event. It is worth noting that Reliance Jio emerged as the largest spender at the 5G spectrum auction, spending Rs 88,078 crore, accounting for almost 59% of the total income produced by the auction.

 

Wrapping Up

 

In rural areas or neighborhoods where a single service provider can be profitable, collaboration among service providers, citizens, and enterprises is essential. This bonding should be based on what network capabilities to expect and under what commercial terms. The single most important goal for this scenario is to maximize broadband take-rates. Low take-rates in these areas move service providers from category two to category three.

 

The government plans to invest roughly $30 billion over the next three years to secure last-mile network access for 4G and 5G in every village across the country, as well as to establish a strong digital infrastructure in rural areas. This creates huge business prospects for rural individuals, who will be able to connect effortlessly with a larger audience while marketing and selling their products. 

 

The recently developed ONDC platform, together with 5G connection in rural areas, will provide a multitude of chances for rural enterprises to thrive and prosper. The presence of reliable 5G connectivity in semi-urban and rural areas will also result in many businesses establishing themselves there, creating job prospects for the rural populace. 

Also Read | How will 5G Technology help in Marketing?