India has marked a major milestone to its 5G capabilities, which is poised to give a significant boost not just to the country’s 5G capabilities but also to the thriving digital-focused industries like online gaming.
India’s first indigenous 5G tech unveiled
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (IIT-H) and Indian startup WiSig Networks recently demonstrated a first-of-its-kind 5G data call via an indigenously developed open radio access network (ORAN), a 5G compliant technology.
To date, India has been importing 2G, 3G, and 4G technologies—meaning that the technology and intellectual property as well as design know-how are not available locally, even though some of the wireless equipment are assembled in the country. The joint project between IIT-H and WiSig resulted in the development of more than 100 5G patents, 15 of which are declared as 3GPP 5G Standard Essential Patents (SEPS) to the Telecommunication Standards Development Society, India (TSDSI).
Prof Kiran Kuchi, Dean (R&D) of IITH, described the 5G demonstration as a “watershed moment in indigenous 5G development,” saying, “Equipped with these capabilities, India can be self-reliant in designing and manufacturing wireless broadband equipment and play an increasingly important role in future generation technologies, products, and services.”
This development marks a significant step forward for the digital transformation initiatives of the already digital-friendly India, especially with the government putting extra focus on advancing the country’s digital transformation including the rollout of 5G services in the fiscal year 2022-23.
Online entertainment to benefit greatly with enhanced 5G
One of the biggest gainers of the 5G rollout in India is the country’s online entertainment industry, which includes the online gambling sector. This is especially true in these times, with more and more consumers going the online route for their day-to-day activities—from work and study to businesses and shopping, as well as casual entertainment. Even checking live cricket satta rates are now made easier via the legitimate platforms that offer real-time markets on sporting events.
The government estimates that India already has 760 million Internet users, and more than half of those—or roughly 365 million—play online games via mobile phones, making the country the second largest mobile gaming market in the world, according to an ENV Media research focusing on mobile devices.
The ENV Media report, which uses proprietary data and analytic feedback from its properties, notes that the Indian mobile gaming market has already “outpaced early predictions of growth in gamer communities by a year.” This is in reference to the 2018 Kantar IMRB study, which forecast the “phenomenal growth in mobile gamers in India” to result in a further increase to 368 million by 2022.
“The Covid-19 pandemic was an unexpected event for all. Yet, it turned into a factor that pushed most digital trends in the same direction they had already taken. Reportedly, around half of all smartphone users in India play mobile games at this point. Over the course of a difficult year for humanity, many consumers found solace and entertainment outlets in mobile games, spending more than an hour with them, on average,” according to ENV Media researchers.
They added, “Nowadays, the former family primetime hours are often dedicated to gaming, and this kind of fragmented, customizable, and largely free gaming experience is the new preferred pastime for many Indians.” And the rollout of the 5G technologies in the country in the near future will herald an even more exciting digital future for India.