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Context: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has launched the Bharat 6G Alliance, a platform to bring together stakeholders from academia, industry, government and civil society to foster innovation and collaboration in the development of 6G technology. The alliance aims to position India as a global leader in 6G research and deployment and to create a conducive ecosystem for the adoption of 6G services in the country.

Details

• The Bharat 6G Alliance was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Communications, Electronics & Information Technology and Railways, on the occasion of the Digital Communication Innovation Square (DCIS) Awards Ceremony held on July 5, 2023.
• The minister felicitated more than 75 innovators who have contributed to the advancement of digital communication technologies in India.

Bharat 6G Alliance

• The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has announced the launch of the Bharat 6G Alliance, a new initiative to foster research and development in the emerging 6G technology.
• The alliance aims to bring together academia, industry, government and civil society to create a vibrant ecosystem for 6G innovation and collaboration in India.
  • 6G is the next frontier of wireless communication, which is expected to offer unprecedented speed, capacity, reliability, security and intelligence.
  • 6G will enable new applications and services such as holographic communication, brain-computer interface, quantum internet and smart cities.
  • 6G will address the challenges and limitations of the current 5G networks, such as spectrum scarcity, energy efficiency, latency and interoperability.
• The Bharat 6G Alliance will act as a platform for sharing knowledge, resources and best practices among the stakeholders. It will facilitate joint projects, workshops, seminars, conferences and publications on 6G topics.
• The alliance will coordinate with international bodies and forums to align India's vision and roadmap for 6G with global standards and trends.

DCIS Awards

• The DCIS Awards are an initiative of the DoT to recognize and support startups, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), individuals and academic institutions that have developed innovative solutions in the field of digital communication.
• The awards are given under four categories: Telecom Products, Telecom Services, Telecom Applications and Telecom Research.

Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) scheme

• The DoT has launched the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) scheme, which is a dedicated fund to support research and development (R&D) projects in emerging telecom technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, blockchain, cloud computing, etc.
• The TTDF scheme is implemented by the Telecom Research Development Corporation of India (TRDCI), a public-private partnership entity established by the DoT.
• The TTDF scheme provides financial assistance to R&D projects that have the potential for commercialization and social impact. It aims to create intellectual property rights (IPRs) in telecom technologies and enhance India's competitiveness in the global telecom market.

Telecom Reforms: Transforming India's Digital Landscape

• The launch of the Bharat 6G Alliance, the DCIS Awards and the TTDF scheme are part of the DoT's vision to transform India's digital landscape and to make it a global hub for telecom innovation.
• The DoT has undertaken various citizen and industry-centric reforms in the past nine years that have led the telecom industry as a sunrise industry.

Some of the key reforms include:

• Simplifying the licensing regime and reducing the regulatory burden on telecom service providers.
• Rationalizing spectrum allocation and pricing policies.
• Promoting broadband penetration and digital inclusion.
• Encouraging foreign direct investment (FDI) and domestic manufacturing in telecom equipment.
• Strengthening cybersecurity and data protection frameworks.
• Enhancing consumer protection and grievance redressal mechanisms.

Some of the achievements include:

• India has become the second-largest telecom market in the world with over 1.2 billion subscribers.
• India has achieved 99% coverage of 4G services and has installed over 2.7 lahks 5G towers at a rate of one tower per minute, making it among the top three 5G ecosystems in the world.
• India has witnessed a surge in data consumption, with an average monthly data usage per subscriber of 13.5 GB.
• India has attracted over $40 billion of FDI in the telecom sector in the last nine years.
• India has become a net exporter of telecom equipment, with exports worth $3 billion in 2022-23.
• India has established itself as a leader in digital innovation, with over 10,000 startups working on cutting-edge telecom technologies

Conclusion

• The DoT has invited all interested parties to join the Bharat 6G Alliance and contribute to the advancement of 6G technology in India. The DoT has also assured its full support and guidance to the alliance members in terms of policy, regulation, funding and infrastructure. The DoT hopes that the Bharat 6G Alliance will help India become a global leader and pioneer in 6G technology.

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6G: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/6g

PRACTICE QUESTION Q. Which of these is/are the objectives of BHARAT 6G ALLIANCE? 1. To create a roadmap for 6G research and innovation in India. 2. To collaborate with global partners and standardization bodies on 6G development. 3. To promote the adoption of 6G services and applications in various sectors. 4. To regulate the spectrum allocation and pricing for 6G operators. How many of the above statements is/are correct? A) Only 1 B) Only 2 C) Only 3 D) All Answer: C Explanation: The regulation of spectrum allocation and pricing is the responsibility of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), not BHARAT 6G ALLIANCE.

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1937088