© 2022 IJNRD | Volume 7, Issue 11 November 2022 | ISSN: 2456-4184 | IJNRD.

ORG

5G IN INDIA: OPPORTUNITIES AND

CHALLENGES
1Shubhangi Srivastava, 2Shweta Jaiswal
1
Research Scholar, Department of Commerce, Iswar Saran Degree College, Prayagraj
2
Research Scholar, Department of Commerce, Chaudhary Mahadev Prasad Degree College, Prayagraj

ABSTRACT
“One of the biggest technological breakthroughs in our lifetime will be made possible by 5G, it will open up
countless opportunities. With proper infrastructure the true speed of 5G will be implemented, which will act
as a life and blood of modern equipment but as every coin has a flip side similarly implementing the 5th
generation will also face many challenges.”
This paper is a review study of 5G literature with an attempt to explain the various challenges and
opportunities of introducing 5G in India.

Keywords: 5G, opportunities and challenges of 5G, Network Generation.

INTRODUCTION
With the introduction of 5G in India by the honorable prime minister Mr. Narendra Modi, India has finally
caught up with the race of generations of network. 5G is the fifth generation of mobile network with a wider
coverage of spectrum, higher capacity and lower latency. It will greatly contribute in the Indian vision of
“Digital India”. It will improve the mobile experience, consumers will be able to download data heavy
content such as 8K movies and games with better graphics in just a few seconds. But once 5G becomes
commercial, users will be required to change their current devices in favor of 5G-enabled ones.
Recent researches shows that fifth generation of cellular networks is going to revolutionize the industry of
wireless communications. It main focus will not be mobile phones but IoTs. The fifth generation of cellular
network is anticipated to perform substantially better than previous generations, enabling businesses to take
advantage of a variety of applications, services, and opportunities, including smart watches, wearable,
driverless vehicles, virtual reality(VR), augmented reality (AR) and the Internet of Things (IoT).According
to Ericson mobility report 5g will contribute nearly 39%of all mobile subscriptions in India by the end of
2027,or nearly 500 million subscriptions. This paper is descriptive in nature and describes the major
challenges and opportunities faced by the launching of 5G services in India through analysis of various news
articles, GSA report and platforms like 3GPP.

5G
5G is the fifth generation of wireless communication. It is a generational leap in technology that delivers
multi-Gbps speed, huge network capacity, higher reliability and low latency. With more accessible
bandwidth and advanced antenna technology, 5G can transfer higher amount of data as compared to older
generations of cellular network. It will be supportive of VRs, IoTs and smart devices.
,

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By the end of August, 2022, out of 501 identified operators in 153 countries, who are investing in 5G
services, a total of 224 operators in 89 countries launched third generation partnership project compliant 5G
services, 222 operators in 89 countries have launched 5G services and 111 operators have been identified as
investing in 5G standalone. Between July 2022 and August 2022, the number of announced 5G devices rose
by 4.6% reaching a total of 1,521 devices. Of these, 1,175 are understood to be commercially available,
representing 77.3% of all announced 5G devices. This is an increase of 37.1% in the number of commercial
5G devices since the end of December 2021.

Features of 5G
The 5G architecture provides users with anytime-everywhere access, it is made possible by advancements in
virtualization, cloud-based technologies, IT, and business process automation. 5G networks produces
software-defined sub network constructs known as network slices, with the help of these slices, network
administrators can specify how users and devices should interact with the network. Additionally, 5G
enhances the online experience by enabling automation through machine learning (ML). To satisfy the
demand for response speeds in fractions of a second, 5G networks must combine automation with machine
learning (ML), and eventually deep learning and artificial intelligence (such as those for self-driving cars)
(AI)Automated provisioning, proactive traffic and service control, and lower infrastructure costs will
enhance the connected experience... In the table below we can see the key feature, technology and speed of
different generation of mobile services.
Mobile generations and their key features

OPPORTUNITIES
To address the needs for connectivity, adaptability, and resilience in the post-pandemic world, the
deployment of 5G has become a top priority. By 2035, it is anticipated that India would have a $1 trillion 5G
economic impact. 5G can help India overcome the country's current development constraints and advance
the "Digital India" agenda by opening up new commercial opportunities and societal advantages. Consumers
will be able to download data-intensive material, such 8K movies and games with enhanced visuals, in only

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a few seconds, revolutionizing the mobile experience. Users will need to replace their current devices with
5G-capable ones once 5G becomes commercially available, though.
However, it's conceivable that the technology will be used for purposes other than just providing services to
individual mobile devices. The usage of wireless technologies will be expanded for the first time across
whole new economic sectors, including the industrial, commercial, educational, health care, agricultural,
financial, and social sectors, according to a government panel on 5G technology. The paper also emphasizes
that even after 5G networks are introduced in India, older mobile technologies (2G, 3G, and 4G) would
continue to be used and that it could take up to ten years to completely phase them out.

CHALLENGES PRESENT TO ADAPT TO 5G ARE:

 Allocation of frequencies: Indian operators have much less spectrum than foreign operators. The hefty
investment costs that give telecom businesses second thoughts about their ROI.
 We lag behind in technology in comparison.
 Network investment: There are problems with capital augmentation in the Indian telecom industry that need
to be fixed.
 Non-availability of funds for investment: Debt is another issue that many Indian entrepreneurs are struggling
with.
 Regulatory restrictions: Faster rounds of new technology introduction bring more complexity because earlier
technology investments haven't yet been recouped.
 Technical Challenges: Designing IT architecture that can be deployed globally, while still allowing for
localized technology to cater for different regions is a challenge.

CHALLENGES FOR ROLLING OUT 5G

 Critical infrastructures: To support 5G, the communication system's underlying architecture will need to
undergo significant transformation. Since 5G's inability to transmit data over greater distances is its primary
drawback, existing infrastructure must be upgraded to support 5G.
 Financial liability: Upgrading to the most recent cellular technology is required to make the switch from 4G
to 5G technology, which places financial responsibility on users.
 Capital deficiency The 5G spectrum distribution is being held up by a lack of sufficient money with suitable
telecom businesses (like Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea).
 Late adoption: Because of their late adoption of 5G technology, countries in the Asia-Pacific area like India,
Bangladesh, and Indonesia may see a decline in service income.
 Government subsidies: The chance of government subsidies is low given the historical practice of
governments setting high reserve prices for spectrum auctions while still experiencing persistent budget
deficits.
 Digital divide: In the medium term, 5G will not close the digital divide between rural and urban areas; in
fact, it might widen it.
 Service niche: Unlike 3G and 4G, which were distributive services, 5G will be a service niche. Over a
considerably longer time span, it will intensify and become concentrated in specific industries.
 Consumers are still having trouble with common network problems like call dropouts and erratic broadband
connections. Internet services are still frequently interrupted by 4G networks.
 Concerns have been raised about the possibility of interference with aeroplane navigation systems due to the
development of 5G mobile service.
 Denial of service(DoS)- In initial execution of 5G services, it will use infrastructure of 4G and LTE
networks which are vulnerable to DoS, thus inheriting all the vulnerabilities of previous networks.
 Security- The 5G network relies heavily on internet which is vulnerable to hacking. The core of the 5G
network will be based on network function virtualization (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN), it
uses certain widely used protocols which can be manipulated by the hackers. Similarly most connected
devices of 5G will be IoT and the number of attacks on IoT is also increasing. According to a Claroty study,
the number of vulnerability disclosures affecting IoT devices grew by 57% in the first half (1H) of 2022
compared to the prior six months.

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 Environment- According to Columbia climate school, the speed, capacity, and connection of 5G will offer a
variety of opportunities for environmental protection and preservation. Improved energy efficiency, reduced
greenhouse gas emissions , and more renewable energy sources will be used due to 5G technology and IoT.
The long-term implications of 5G's technology on the environment are not yet recognized. However, there
are already worries that the environmental impact of 5G could be unfavorable due to its energy usage, the
production of new infrastructure, and the proliferation of new devices (Cho, 2020).

CONCLUSION
One of the biggest technological breakthroughs in our lifetime will be made possible by 5G, it will open up
countless opportunities. With proper infrastructure the true speed of 5G will be implemented, which will act as
a life and blood of modern equipment.
The requirement of the 1000-fold increase in traffic can be satisfactorily met by 5G. Users of 5G will have
"zero" latency and access data rates similar to those of fiber. There will be 100 billion gadgets that 5G can
link. In a number of situations, including those involving extremely high traffic volume density, extremely
high connection density, and extremely high mobility, 5G will be able to give a consistent experience. In
addition, 5G will be able to offer intelligent optimization based on users' and services' awareness and will
vastly increase both energy and cost efficiency.
Although with boon like advantages 5G will come with various challenges like security threat, poor
infrastructure, digital divide, capital deficiency etc.

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