Ericsson has established India’s first 5G innovation lab at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, where it will be working to hasten deployments.
The ‘first-of-its-kind’ innovation lab will bring together carriers, academia, startups, and industry to maximise the benefits enabled by the latest generation of mobile technology.
Börje Ekholm, President and CEO, Ericsson, said:
“Ericsson is leading 5G standardisation globally. The 5G Center of Excellence and Innovation Lab aims to stimulate the 5G ecosystem in India. We would like to unleash the creativity and innovation of the Indian industry, academia and entrepreneurs to fully leverage and make 5G a reality in India.”
An Ericsson report suggests 5G-enabled digitisation could generate $27.3 billion in revenue by 2026 in India.
The report suggests a further $13 billion could be unlocked by Indian operators if they ‘take up roles beyond being connectivity and infrastructure providers, to become service enablers and service creators.’
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Manoj Sinha, said:
“I would like to congratulate Ericsson for taking the lead in terms of setting up the first 5G Center of Excellence and Innovation Lab in the country. The 5G Center of Excellence supports the Government’s plans to foster a robust and vibrant 5G ecosystem in India.
We want India to be an active participant in the design, development and manufacture of 5G-based technologies, products and apps. I would, therefore, like to urge the industry, academia, students and start-ups to leverage the Ericsson Innovation Lab to develop new 5G-based apps and business models that could potentially lead to better agricultural yields, better healthcare, smarter cities, more efficient manufacturing, and enhanced lifestyles.
We need the entire ecosystem to work together to make 5G a reality in India over the next 2-3 years.”
India is working hard to ensure it’s at the forefront of 5G technology. Last month, Telecoms reported the nation had signed three MOU (Memoranda of Understanding) agreements with UK institutions to research the technology and its uses.
The UK institutions which signed the MOUs are King’s College, University of Surrey, and the University of Bristol. Academics will share their expertise and research with the Indian government-owned body C-DOT, the nation’s telecoms development centre.
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