India delays 5G trials, may start by 2019 end

NEW DELHI: Government-backed fifth-generation or 5G technology trials are expected to commence not earlier than the end of the current calendar year or early next year, according to a recently-constituted committee looking into field trial initiative.

“5G trials may happen towards the end of this year or early next year. Early deployments may happen in the second or third quarter of 2020,” Abhay Karandikar, director, IIT Kanpur and chairman of the recently set up committee to look into SG spectrum for trials told ETT.

The much-anticipated 5G field trials have hit the policy roadblock with the department of telecom (DoT) wireless planning and coordination wing (WPC) averse to allocating airwaves beyond 90 days, which according to industry, would not serve any purpose.