India’s telecom business is the world’s second-largest, with 1.18 billion users (wireless + wireline) as of December 2021. India has an overall teledensity of 86.89 per cent, with the rural market, which is mostly untapped, having a teledensity of 59.31 per cent and the urban market having a teledensity of 138.79 per cent. If you wish to seek a career in this emerging industry, there are many telecommunication courses online and offline which will help you.
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Bringing the globe together
By the end of September 2021, the total number of internet subscribers had risen to 834.29 million (narrowband + broadband users), with rural areas accounting for 37.67 per cent of all internet subscribers. The number of broadband users climbed from 747.41 million at the end of December 2020 to 792.08 million in December 2021. The average monthly data consumption per wireless data subscriber has also climbed by 22,605 per cent, from 61.66 MB in March 2014 to 14 GB in June 2021.
Affordable prices, expanded availability, the roll-out of Mobile Number Portability (MNP), expanding 3G and 4G coverage, altering subscriber consumption patterns, and a favourable regulatory environment have all contributed to the industry’s exponential expansion in recent years.
The government has prioritised and implemented steps to increase India’s domestic telecom manufacturing capacity. Efforts are also underway to build a foundational network for the deployment of 5G technology in India.
The telecom sector is the third-largest in terms of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows, accounting for 7% of overall FDI inflows. It directly employs 2.2 million people and indirectly employs 1.8 million people. Between 2014 and 2021, FDI inflows into the telecom sector increased by 150 per cent to $20.72 billion, up from $8.32 billion between 2002 and 2014.
Under the automatic approach, 100 per cent FDI is now permitted in the telecommunications sector.
Situation of industry
By 2025, India is predicted to develop a $1 trillion digital economy. Infrastructure, Equipment, Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MNVO), White Space Spectrum, 5G, Telephone service providers, and Broadband are the subsectors of the telecommunications industry.
The Indian telecom tower business has increased by 65 per cent in the last seven years. From 400,000 in 2014 to 660,000 in 2021, the number of mobile towers has increased. Similarly, the number of Mobile Base Transceiver Stations has climbed by 187 per cent, from 800,000 in 2014 to 2.3 million in 2021.
It is also anticipated that 5G technology will add $450 billion to the Indian economy between 2023 and 2040. 5G Spectrum Trials are currently underway in India to ensure the spread of 5G technology across the country.
The GSMA predicts that India would have 920 million unique mobile users by 2025, including 88 million 5G connections, and 1 billion installed smartphones. By December 2022, the DoT expects to have 100% internet coverage in villages, 55% fiberisation of mobile towers, 25 mbps broadband speeds, and 30 lakh km of optic fibre rollouts. By 2024, it intends to have fiberized 70% of its towers and rolled out 50 lakh kilometres of optic fibre across India.
If you want to advance your career and upscale your opportunities you can also opt for online courses on c programming for telecommunication.
