5G is the next big leap for India’s telecom sector

India’s telecom sector has undergone a complete metamorphosis in the last 25 years. A mobile call which used to cost ₹22 for every minute is now free. The mobile phone itself has changed from a no-frills gadget allowing only voice calls to a pocket device which doubles up as a computer, a camera, a communication device.

In Episode 2 of the webinar series, ‘Desh ki Digital Udaan’ which marks 25 years of mobility in India, a panel of industry experts came together to discuss how this mobile journey is going to proceed in the years to come. The webinar was organised by Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) in association with the Department of Telecommunications and moderated by Purushothaman KG, Partner and Telecom Sector Leader, KPMG India.

“1 GB of data costs $12.50 in the US, $6.6 in UK and just $0.13 in India. This has allowed every person in the country to have access to mobile phones – we cover roughly 98 per cent of the Indian geography and perhaps even more in terms of the population today,” said Akhil Gupta, Vice Chairman of Bharti Enterprises and Executive Chairman, Bharti Infratel.