‘Decades lost in 2G scam’: PM Modi’s jibe at Congress as he inaugurates India’s first 5G testbed

In a veiled attack on the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the country is making rapid strides in the telecom sector as 5G and 6G will help boost growth in every sector after “losing a decade of policy paralysis and corruption of the 2G”. 

Addressing the silver jubilee celebrations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), PM Modi said: “The country has made rapid strides from 3G to 4G and now 5G and 6G, out of despair, frustration, corruption, policy paralysis of 2G era. Our telecom sector is a great example of how self-reliance and healthy competition create a multiplier effect in society and the economy.”

PM Modi inaugurated the country’s first 5G testbed to enable startups and industry players to test and validate their products locally and reduce dependence on foreign facilities. The testbed has been set up at a cost of around Rs 220 crore.

“5G Test Bed is an important step towards the country’s self-reliance on critical and modern technology in the telecom sector. 5G technology is also going to bring positive changes in the governance of the country, ease of living and ease of doing business. This will boost growth in every sector including agriculture, health, education, infrastructure and logistics. This will also create many employment opportunities,” the prime minister said. 

He said connectivity will determine the pace of progress of the country in 21st century. He stressed on the modernisation of connectivity at every level.

PM Modi further said that every village in the country today is being connected with optical fiber.

“Below 2014, even 100-gram panchayats in India were not connected to optical fiber connectivity. Today broadband connectivity has reached about 2.5 lakh gram panchayats. To make mobile accessible to the poorest of the poor families, we have emphasised on manufacturing of mobile phones in the country itself. The result was that the mobile manufacturing units increased from 2 to over 200,” he said. 

The Prime Minister said the 5G testbed is an important step for self-reliance in the direction of critical and modern technologies. “I invite youth friends, researchers and companies to utilise the testing facility for making 5G technology,” Modi said.