In Short:
Bharti Airtel’s Chief Technology Officer, Randeep Sekhon, believes that fixed broadband services will be monetized in India through 5G networks due to financial and time constraints in deploying fiber. At a telecom event, he highlighted various use cases for 5G, including in industrial sectors, healthcare, and remote areas. Airtel and Reliance Jio have already launched 5G services in key cities to start monetizing their networks.
Bharti Airtel Executive Predicts Monetization of Fixed Broadband in India
A senior executive of Bharti Airtel, Randeep Sekhon, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the company, stated that fixed broadband, a use case of 5G mobile networks, will be monetized in India due to financial and time constraints associated with deploying fiber in certain regions.
5G | 6G Congress 2024 Highlights
Sekhon made this statement at the seventh edition of ETTelecom 5G | 6G Congress 2024, where nearly 400 delegates and 40 speakers discussed various areas such as 5G, network transformation, and next-generation technology.
5G Use Cases and Deployment
Sekhon mentioned that with the maturing technology and reasonable prices, operators can now deploy AirFiber or Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) in large numbers, especially in areas like remote locations, villages, and schools to support inclusion initiatives.
Airtel and Reliance Jio have already launched 5G FWA services in key metros, focusing on monetizing their 5G networks. Sekhon also highlighted emerging use cases in the industrial segment, including factory connectivity and discussions with first responders for network slicing-based applications.
Future of 5G Use Cases
According to Sekhon, 5G use cases in healthcare, public safety, and enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) will drive monetization opportunities in India. The combination of 5G, Cloud, IoT, and automation is expected to create new use cases in the future.
