6G technology launch likely by 2023-end or 2024, says Ashwini Vaishnaw

India is working towards an indigenously developed 6G technology with the aim to launch it either by 2023-end or early 2024, Minister for Communication Ashwini Vaishnaw said Tuesday.

"6G development has already started. That will be seen somewhere in the time frame 2024 or 2023-end. That is the direction in which we are going. We will have designed in India telecom software for running the networks, manufactured in India telecom equipment, served in India telecom networks which can go global," he said.

Apart from 6G, the launch of indigenous 5G is also on the cards, the minister said, with the development of a core software for the technology to be completed by the third quarter of next year. The auctions for 5G spectrum is also likely to happen in the second quarter of calendar year 2022, he said.

"A reference has been made to TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) for 5G spectrum auctions. They have already started the consultation process. The process should end somewhere in the February-March time frame in the coming year. Then the auction process will be in Q2 of calendar year 2022," he said.

Earlier this year, the Cabinet had approved a set of nine structural and procedural reforms to address the short-term liquidity needs as well as long-term issues of telecom companies.

As part of these reforms, the government had given the telcos an option to go for a four-year moratorium on payment of deferred spectrum and adjusted gross revenue dues. Of the three telcos, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea have opted for the four-year moratorium.