Will 5G Services Be More Costly In India From October?

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New Delhi: 5G services are set to be rolled out in India sometime in October. But what will be the charges for the enhanced speed?

Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has assured in an exclusive interview with India Today that the telecom sector in the country will remain one of the most affordable in the world.

“We had requested the industry to start the process of setting up equipment all over the country. The auction concluded yesterday and today our committee has already held a meeting to approve the spectrum allocation. Maybe by August 10 we can allocate the spectrum and we should be able to roll out 5G in October,” Vaishnaw told India Today.

“The Indian telecom market is the most affordable in the world. I hope that trend will continue even in 5G,” he added.

Allaying concerns over electromagnetic radiation due to 5G, Vaishnaw said that the level of radiation is 10 times lower than that in the US and Europe.

“A low radiation means we have the ability to provide good quality services. We have a safe and secure environment, we should be raising the EMFs rather than keeping them at the current level,” the minister said.

As for the equipment to be used to provide 5G services, Vaishnaw said: “We are the second largest manufacturers of mobile phones in the world. About 25-30 per cent of mobile phones manufactured in India are 5G-enabled. The cost of 5G phones is coming down every year. Over a period of one year, most of the phones will be 5G enabled,” he said.