Kolkata: The Indian Telegraph Right of Way (Amendment) Rules, 2022, as a major reform measure will facilitate faster and easier deployment of telegraph infrastructure to enable rapid 5G rollout in the country, the Economic survey 2022-23 said Tuesday.
The survey added that 5G services would directly impact consumers through higher data transfer speeds and lower latency, and 5G use cases developed by telcos and start-ups in areas such as education, health, worker safety and smart agriculture are now being deployed across the country.
“The government has implemented procedural reforms in wireless licensing, including the licensing of different frequency bands to promote innovation, production and export, and the 2022 National Frequency Allocation Plan (NFAP) provides a broad regulatory framework, specifying which frequency bands are available for mobile cellular services, Wi-Fi, sound and television broadcastsradio navigation for aircraft and ships, and other wireless communications,” the survey said.
The NFAP, it said, would guide spectrum users in planning their networks in accordance with the relevant frequency and parameters provided therein. Since spectrum is a scarce resource, NFAP is useful in efficiently matching spectrum usage with demand from emerging technologies.
The survey added that the launch of 5G services was a milestone in India’s telecommunications and telecom reform and a clear policy direction led to the spectrum auction of 2022 with the highest bids ever.
“However, some of the lower rates should be scrapped to support local businesses and make business easier. ICEA recommends that the 2.75 percent rate (including social security surcharge), in addition to other smaller rates that have no beneficial effect and only a creating a burden on legitimate manufacturers will be removed,” Mohindroo said in a statement.