Question : 5G Spectrum Technology

(a) whether the Government has begun the process of rolling out of 5G spectrum technology in the country and if so, the details thereof;

(b) the proposed timeline fixed by the Government for the roll-out of 5G spectrum in the country;

(c) the current status of the adoption of 5G spectrum technology in the country;

(d) whether the Government has identified any challenges in the rolling out of 5G spectrums on time and if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government in this regard; and

(e) the details of the current liabilities and scale of Non Performing Assets (NPAs) of the telecom companies of the country, company-wise?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS,
HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND
ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE)

(a) to (d) The inter-ministerial High Level Forum (HLF) for 5G India 2020 constituted in September, 2017 had submitted its report “Making India 5G Ready” in August, 2018. Based on the report, the Government is creating an enabling framework for deployment of affordable and secure 5G services in India. The 5G services are expected to be introduced gradually and advance to a full range of services as ecosystem and demand for services grows. The radio spectrum and the telecom licenses awarded by the Government are technology neutral and can facilitate deployment of any networks/services.

(e) The data related to current liabilities and NPAs of the telecom companies of the country is not maintained by the Department of Telecommunications.

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