Indian communications minister Ashwini Vaishnaw (pictured, right) said that India should take the lead in 6G technology.
While inaugurating a seminar on ‘25 years of TRAI Act’ in New Delhi on March 13, he bullishly said if the country is not leading in 6G then there is no point in calling India a nation of talents.
“We have started working in 6G. Compared to the world, we were far behind in 2G and 3G. We were chasing the world in 4G. We have to walk with the world on 5G and if it is not ahead of the world on 6G then there is no point in calling India a nation of talents,” said Ashwini.
He also said that India is looking to overhaul the regulatory structure to facilitate the development of technology and interaction with industry as a partner and not as adversaries.
The unique character of the Telecommunications sector, the Minister said, is because of the nature of the spectrum which is indestructible and completely reusable.
The other unique characteristics of the sector pointed out by Ashwini included its highly capital intensive nature, sensitivity to the technology changes, and strategic importance, which has become more relevant today as compared to the time when TRAI Act was formulated, 25 years back.
In the year 1997, TRAI Act was enacted to regulate the telecommunications sector in India. It also provided for a mechanism of dispute resolution among the stakeholders of the telecom sector. It was amended in 2000, establishing a Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) to take over the adjudicatory and disputes functions from TRAI.
