New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that India is moving fast to become a big exporter of telecom technology from being only a user a few years ago. Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Area Office and Innovation Centre, Modi said that India is one of the countries to have rolled out 5G mobile technology at the fastest pace. He said that the services have been expanded to 125 cities within 120 days of the launch of 5G.
"Within six months of the rollout of 5G technology we are talking about 6G," Modi said. This, he said shows the confidence of the country. "Before 4G, India was only a user of telecom technology, but now India is moving fast to become a big exporter of telecom technology," he said.
Modi also announced that in the coming days, India will set up 100 new 5G labs. "These labs will help in developing 5G applications as per the unique needs of India," he said.
Stressing that India's telecom and digital model is smooth, secure, transparent and trusted, the prime minister said that this decade is 'Techade'. Talking about India's telecom success story, Modi said that the number of internet users has increased from 25 crore in 2014 to 85 crore with majority in rural areas. He also said that the government and private sector together have laid over 25 lakh kilometre optical fibre in last nine years.
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