IANS | 17 May, 2024
The Indian telecom operators are increasingly adopting green telecom
networks, which focus on energy-efficient operations, carbon emission
reductions and the use of renewable energy sources, industry experts
said on Thursday, ahead of the World Telecommunication and Information
Society Day that falls on May 17.
Innovative 5G applications like
internet of things (IoT), smart grids, precision agriculture, among
others, will further contribute to the nation’s sustainability goals.
“This
is in addition to the efficiencies to be driven via use of 5G across
diverse sectors like healthcare, education, transport, manufacturing,
logistics, mining, etc., which will take us closer to achieving the
country’s sustainability goals,” said Lt Gen Dr SP Kochhar, Director
General, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).
According to experts, it is crucial to acknowledge India’s ascent as the third largest digitised nation in the world.
“India
has embarked on diverse projects with Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT) as the foundation, offering the potential to build a
sustainable economy. A key enabler in this journey is the rapid adoption
of mobile Internet, which the United Nations deems essential for
achieving its 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” Kochhar
elaborated.
According to latest Telecom Regulatory Authority of
India (TRAI) data, the number of Internet subscribers reached 936.16
million at the end of December 2023, registering a quarterly rate of
growth of 1.96 per cent.
Tarun Chhabra, Country Manager, Nokia
India, said that as the digital landscape is becoming all-pervasive, the
telecom industry needs to validate its sustainability efforts.
“It's
estimated that digital technologies can help achieve 70 per cent of
targets under the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030,” he noted.
With
the fastest rollout of 5G, India is on the cusp of a digital revolution
with its pioneering initiatives in the adoption of artificial
intelligence (AI) and also taking the right steps in establishing its 6G
leadership.
“Overall, India’s digital journey is not just about
technological advancement but also about leveraging this progress to
achieve broader socio-economic and environmental objectives, aligning
with global sustainability efforts and fostering a greener future,”
Kochhar emphasised.
Moreover, there is a need to strengthen the
mobile services ecosystem with potent spectrum in the mid-band segment,
such as the 6 GHz band, which would be decisive in the success of 5G, 5G
advanced and the future 6G deployments in India, said experts.
