5G deployment in 25 cities by end of 2022, prices will be lower than global average: Govt

The government had earlier said that 5G spectrum auctions in the country would begin in July, while the first phase of roll out is expected in August-September.

IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has clarified that 20 to 25 Indian cities will get 5G connectivity by the end of 2022. At a media summit on June 18, the union minister also clarified that 5G data prices in the country would be "significantly lower than [the] global average", news agency PTI reported. The government had earlier said that 5G spectrum auctions in the country would begin in July, while the first phase of rollout is expected in August-September. A separate government release claimed that 13 Indian cities would get the 5G connection in the first phase.

The PTI report also highlights that minister Vaishnaw observed that India's internet data rates are at about $2 (roughly Rs 155), while the global average rate is at $25 (roughly Rs 1,900).

A similar statement was made by Airtel CTO Randeep Sekhon early this year when the executive claimed that 5G and 4G tariffs in India would not see a "major difference". In an interview with India Today Tech, Sekhon said, "We will know the final costs only after the spectrum auction. If you look at other markets, where operators are already proving 5G, we haven't seen them charging a premium for it over 4G".

During the event, the union minister also said that India's average data consumption is 18GB per month, which exceeds the global average of 11GB per month. However, India is still behind many countries in the Ookla Speedtest Global Index. The data shows India's position at 125 in the global mobile speed performance index, while the country stands at 79 in the global fixed broadband performance index.

Union minister Vaishnaw also addressed some concerns related to 5G in the media summit. According to the news agency, the IT minister assured that there is no reason to be concerned about Electro-Magnetic Field (EMF) radiation from 5G towers as India has "more stringent" norms than other countries.

The government has confirmed that spectrum totalling 72GHz will be auctioned across several frequency bands, including 600 MHz, 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 3300 MHz, and 26 GHz. 13 cities that include Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Gandhinagar, Gurugram, Jamnagar, Hyderabad, Pune, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Kolkata are said to receive the 5G connectivity tech in the initial rollout phase.

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