Bharat 6G Vision Document, Gearing up for the Next Generation of Telecommunication

Bharat 6G Vision Document: It is basically a document that will serve as a launchpad for policymakers and the industry to prepare for the next phase of telecommunication advancement. Bharat 6G Vision Document is also important for UPSC Prelims Exam 2023 and UPSC Mains Exam (GS Paper 2- Various government policies, programs and initiatives to promote different sectors in India).

Bharat 6G Vision Document in News

Recently, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the Bharat 6G Vision Document, despite the fact that more than 45,000 villages still lack 4G connectivity and the development of 5G networks is still in progress.

What is Bharat 6G Vision Document?

The Bharat 6G Vision Document is a plan unveiled by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March 2022 to prepare India for the next generation of telecommunications, 6G.

• Objective: The plan focuses on accelerating the country’s wireless data consumption and ensuring that India takes a leadership role in setting global 6G standards.
  • It also aims to promote local manufacturing of telecom gear and support Indian companies and engineers in international discussions regarding standardization.
• Indicative goals: The Bharat 6G Vision Document also entails some of the following indicative goals like-
  • Guarantee every citizen a minimum bandwidth of 100Mbps;
  • Ensure every gram panchayat has half a terabit per second of connectivity; and
  • Blanket the country with over 50 million internet hotspots, with thirteen per square kilometre.

Need for Bharat 6G Vision Document

Ensuring Standardisation in 6G

The Indian government has expressed a desire to speed up the nation’s wireless data usage and establish a leading role in establishing 6G standards in the future.

• This could entail promoting local production of telecommunications equipment and providing support to Indian firms and professionals in worldwide discussions regarding standardization.
• It is crucial to exert influence in this arena since telecommunications norms are frequently accepted worldwide.

Time introduction of new Tele-communication Technology in India

One of the main reasons for this initiative is the delay in the introduction of prior generations of telecommunication technology in India.

• The deployment of 5G in India began years after other nations, such as South Korea and the United States, had already provided high-speed wireless connectivity to their major urban centers.
• India is determined to avoid repeating this pattern, as the government emphasized in the 6G vision document that it aims to secure 6G as soon as it becomes available.

Physics of Telecommunication

Another reason behind this effort is related to the physics of telecommunications. Typically, as networks progress to newer generations, their frequencies increase. However, lower frequencies enable cell signals to travel longer distances.

• With the surge in data consumption, the lower frequencies of 4G networks may not be able to meet the demand for traffic due to physical limitations.
• The government acknowledges this by stating that “the spectrum is congested, particularly in the low and mid-bands where the propagation characteristics are favorable” in the vision document.
• Higher frequencies can carry more data, which is why 5G technology employs base stations with smaller coverage areas instead of larger cell towers.

6G Technologies Application and Relevance

As with previous generations of technology, consumers can expect faster website loading times, improved video quality, and faster file downloads with the advent of 6G technology.

• However, there may be limitations to the extent of these improvements.
• Latency, which measures the time it takes for a data packet to travel from one point to another, is already approaching the speed of light on existing networks, whereas speed measures the number of such packets that can travel on a connection each second.
• Businesses and governments are still exploring how best to utilize 5G for high-precision, low-latency applications.
• Applications such as holograms and robotic surgery already rely on 5G networks, and the benefits of 6G will likely depend on how different groups plan to use the spectrum.

6G Technology, Comparison with existing Technologies

The 6G vision document proposes the integration of satellite constellations with telecom towers and base stations to extend networks to rural areas.

• To boost connectivity, the government is considering various innovations that already exist in other forms.
• For example, satellite internet is a readily available solution that could be quickly approved by granting administrative clearance to companies such as SpaceX and OneWeb.
• These companies can offer their services with minimal setup as the satellites are already in orbit. However, administrative clearances may delay the implementation of such solutions.

Case of Andaman and Nicobar Islands

For several decades, at least two regions in India, namely the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, have been dependent on satellite internet.

• The islands previously relied on a 1Gbps link for connectivity, which is comparable to a single expensive home connection in many Indian cities today.
• However, the situation improved significantly after an undersea cable connection was established between the islands and Chennai in 2020.
• Despite innovations like constellations that have improved satellite internet speeds, connectivity goals depend on both satellites hundreds of kilometers overhead and the cables on the ground and seabed.

6G in South Korea

In July 2021, the Ministry of Science and Information Technology of South Korea announced its plan to invest 220 billion KRW (equivalent to almost Rs 1,400 crore) into the development of “super performance, hyperspace, and super precision standards”.

• The ministry stated that the focus of the investment would be on establishing fundamental technologies and promoting domestic production of essential equipment and components for 6G technology development.
• This will involve identifying technical requirements for key areas of 6G networks and designing elementary technologies.
• South Korea sees 2021 as the beginning of 6G technology development.

Conclusion

According to the Indian 6G Vision paper, it refers to Europe’s similar document which states that the primary objective is to secure leadership in critical areas and establish secure and reliable access to crucial technologies, thereby making Europe a sovereign, independent, and dependable source for 6G public and private network solutions and services.

Technology Innovation Group for 6G

Technology Innovation Group for 6G

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