India’s Communications Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, announced that the United States has expressed interest in India’s locally developed 4G and 5G technology stack. The stack was developed by the state-run telecom research body CDoT and Indian software major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). Currently, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. is deploying the 4G stack across 100,000 sites, which will be upgraded to 5G later this year. India is also in talks with 18 countries worldwide that are interested in implementing the 4G-5G technology stack.
During the launch of a 5G site at Gangotri, which marked the country’s 200,000th 5G site, Minister Vaishnaw highlighted the rapid progress made in the last eight months. Over 200,000 sites have been installed across 696 districts, making the 5G rollout one of the fastest in the world, with an average of one site installed per minute. The 5G network has been rolled out in all 28 states and 8 Union Territories of India since its launch on October 1.
Leading Indian telecom companies, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, have been actively rolling out 5G services since October. Minister Vaishnaw emphasized India’s commitment to technological advancement by mentioning the country’s possession of over 100 patents in 6G technology. This demonstrates the expertise of Indian engineers and innovators. Developed countries like the USA have shown interest in India’s 4G/5G technology stack.
In a related development, the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) organized a workshop on US-India 5G and Next Generation Networks. The workshop brought together senior government and private sector representatives from both countries to explore collaboration opportunities.
India’s telecommunications sector, with 1.2 billion subscribers, is the second-largest in the world. The rapid growth of the 5G sector in India presents an opportunity for infrastructure development and collaboration between US and Indian firms. This collaboration can help achieve India’s digital connectivity goals through expertise sharing, establishing partnerships, and leveraging private sector financing.
