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6G is in the development stage, with work on the frequency spectrum ongoing.
While 5G is still being rolled out across India, telecom operators are already exploring advancements in 6G technology. This next-generation network is expected to rely heavily on artificial intelligence (AI), with experts predicting that AI algorithms will play a central role in making 6G networks run autonomously. Business Line.
The report quoted Sajjan Paul, managing director and country manager, India and SAARC, Juniper Networks, as saying, “…emerging use cases are being discussed in the 5G space, several operators are yet to deploy it and 5G infrastructure build-out is still underway. Airtel and Jio are the two with large deployment bases, but others are catching up. 5G rollout is still a work in progress.”
While 6G is still in the development stage, work on the frequency spectrum is underway and this could be the first time that spectrum is extended from gigahertz to terahertz, he added.
Paul said standardisation was underway, with a commercial launch expected around 2029-30.
Bharat 6G Alliance
Last month, the Ministry of Communications had said the Bharat 6G Alliance had forged strategic collaborations with Europe’s 6G IA and Finland’s University of Oulu’s 6G Flagship Programme to drive innovation in the sector.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is expected to facilitate collaboration between R&D companies, academic institutions and research organisations from both the EU and India with the objective of synchronising R&D efforts in 6G and related technologies, facilitating joint research projects, piloting 6G technologies and their applications, and collaborating in the development of 6G technologies while contributing to global standardisation efforts.
News reports quoted Bejoy Pankajakushan, executive vice president and chief technology and strategy officer at U.S.-based Mavenir, as saying that India, the U.S., China and Europe are all moving forward with 6G efforts and all expect the technology to significantly boost economic development.
“Previously, 5G was predicted to add trillions of dollars to the economy, but 6G will have an even bigger impact. AI also plays a big role in the development of this sector,” Pancajakshan said.
He added that from a standardization perspective, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), which develops specifications, recently published a framework for the development of 6G standards and air interface technologies.
He said the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), which is responsible for defining these specifications, plans to start work in 2025-26. As a result, the first specifications are likely to be released in 2028-29, and services could start around 2030, he said as quoted in the report.
First Edition: July 30, 2024 | 11:43 AM IST
