It will take India at least another year to roll out the next generation of high-speed mobile internet, known as 5G, Akhil Gupta, vice chairman of Bharti Enterprises, told CNBC.
Even though some countries have already rolled out 5G networks, the technology is still at a nascent stage where various use cases are still being developed, Akhil Gupta, vice chairman of Bharti Enterprises, told CNBC's "Street Signs" on Wednesday. India is expected to hold trials for installing a next-generation 5G cellular network in the coming months.for the auction of 5G spectrum, due this year, is seen to be high, Reuters reported. Major Indian telecommunication companies, including Bharti Airtel, Reliance Industries and Vodafone Idea, are expected to participate in the auction and the entire process could set them back at least more than a billion dollars, the news wire added.
He also explained that, at this point, it is important for India to invest more into the current generation of high-speed mobile networks known as 4G because it will help the country prepare better for 5G.When asked about India's stand on embattled Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, Gupta said he is sure the government and the country's Department of Telecommunications are looking into all aspects of the matter, including potential security concerns.
How far are we?