Telecom minister Scindia pushes for 6G leadership, nationwide broadband in meeting with telcos

Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia along with Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, Minister of State for Communications, chaired the second meeting of the recently established Stakeholders Advisory Committee (SAC) on Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) on Friday.

According to the Ministry of Communications, this initiative by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) aims to involve all stakeholders in shaping and expanding India’s telecommunication ecosystem, promoting inclusive and collaborative policy-making.

In the first SAC meeting on TSPs, key focus areas were identified. In this session, discussions revolved around international standards, India’s role in Intellectual Property and Standard Essential Patent (SEP), connectivity gaps, and the quality of telecom services.

SAC members stressed the importance of aligning research with ‘India’s needs’ and establishing a dynamic standards community. India has already launched initiatives such as the Bharat6G Vision and Bharat6G Alliance, supported patent and IPR frameworks, and commissioned testbeds, positioning the country to aim for 10 per cent of global 6G patents and a significant contribution to international standards. The SAC proposed a three-year roadmap to achieve these goals.

The SAC highlighted that for India to emerge as a deep tech leader, it is crucial to enhance both wireline and intelligent wireless broadband networks, ensuring reliable connectivity.

The TSPs called for a supportive policy environment to encourage investments towards achieving 100 per cent broadband coverage nationwide. Various factors affecting telecom service quality and potential improvement measures were also discussed.

Minister Scindia urged SAC members to outline a critical path to achieve the discussed targets, defining the roles of various stakeholders, including the government. He also encouraged TSPs to take all necessary steps to ensure high-quality telecom services for citizens.

Minister Scindia has established six distinct Stakeholders Advisory Committees (SACs) to provide valuable insights to the DoT on various issues related to the telecommunication sector.

These committees are designed to facilitate ongoing dialogue between the government and industry leaders, top CEOs, academicians, researchers, entrepreneurs, and start-ups, ensuring a continuous exchange of ideas and strategies to advance the sector.