Bhubaneawar, January 5: Union Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan jointly on Thursday launched high-speed 5G telecom services.
“The 5G services are unveiled in Odisha in the first phase of national launch. By August 2024, the entire State of Odisha will be covered with telecom towers, and fibre will reach in every village,” Vaishnaw said.
Incumbent telecom carriers – Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel – have also showcased 5G-driven use cases at Bhubaneswar’s Shiksha O Anusandhan (SOA) University.
Jio has set up a 5G experience lab at the university campus that would facilitate research and use cases based on 5G technology.
Vaishnaw also said that the State-owned BSNL will begin providing 5G services in 2024.
“The State-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) would launch 5G services by 2024, and with support from the Government, it would emerge as a strong entity,” said the Union Telecom Minister.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Government has earmarked Rs 5,600 crores to install 5,000 mobile towers in 7,000 villages across Odisha,” Vaishnaw added.
“100 towers for 4G services covering 100 villages in Odisha have been launched today. Total 5,000 towers will be erected,” he said.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that the fifth generation (5G) technology will prove to be a game changer in the education sector.
