Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav on Thursday made the first 5G call on a test network set up at IIT Madras using indigenously developed telecom gear.
Prime minister Narendra Modi It on Tuesday inaugurated the country’s first 5G test-bed, which was incubated at IIT Madras, so that startups and industry players can test and verify their products locally and reduce dependence on foreign facilities.
“Atmanirbhar 5G. 5G calls successfully tested at IIT Madras. Entire end-to-end network is designed and developed in India,” Vaishnava Said in a social media post.
The Telecom Minister, after making a video call on the indigenously developed 5G technology equipment, said that this is the realization of the Prime Minister’s vision.
Vaishnav said after the call, “His (PM’s) vision is our own 4G, 5G technology stack Developed in India, Made in India and Made for the world. We have to conquer the world with this complete technology stack.”
The government expects that 5G services will start in the country by August-September this year.
At present, telecom companies have been allowed to trial only 5G services.
The 5G test-bed has been developed as a multi-institution collaborative project by eight institutes led by IIT Madras.
In the absence of 5G test-beds, startups and other industry players had to go abroad to test and verify their products for installation in 5G networks.
Other institutions participating in the project are IIT Delhi, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur, IISc Bangalore, Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research (SAMEER) and Center of Excellence in Wireless Technology (CEWiT).
Test-bed facility will be available at five locations.