Indian telcos must quickly expand 5G coverage for monetization: Ericsson

For Indian telecom operators to timely monetize their investments with new use cases, “adequate” 5G coverage is essential. India can also position itself to become a strong international 5G driver and a consumer over the next ten years.

“Concentrating on execution is what is so crucial right now. To position India exceptionally well as a very strong 5G driver and user over this decade, keep the pace on rollout and keep the pressure up in a positive manner. Additionally, with the entry of small, medium, and larger enterprises, which will drive innovation on top of the 5G networks.” Ericsson’s Magnus Ewerbring, CTO-APAC

According to the executive, the majority of telecom operators worldwide have so far launched 5G using non-standalone architecture, but more telcos are now implementing standalone design, particularly after China did so on a large scale.

Commercial 5G services from Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have already been introduced. While Airtel is employing NSA mode to provide its 5G services across cities, Jio has embraced the SA method for 5G.

According to the CEO, Indian telecom companies must make their 5G network immediately accessible to businesses to hasten the development of new use cases.

Jio and Airtel are receiving 5G SA and NSA equipment from Ericsson. Both telecoms are also receiving 5G radio equipment from Nokia and Samsung.

According to the executive, the industry will likely have more open interfaces than 5G as it moves toward 6G. “We will undoubtedly reevaluate which interfaces in the 6G era will gain from openness and how they ought to be standardised. It is crucial to standardise them since doing so will benefit the industry by giving them scale and interoperability.”