India should use 5G to solve development problems: Trai Chief R S Sharma

India must make the most from the diverse applications under the upcoming 5G technology to solve some of its developmental problems in areas such as transport and agriculture, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) chairman R S Sharma has said.

"5G is an exciting area where application domains are going to be hugely diverse. It's a fantastic technology. India, as a country, must leverage it as soon as possible so as to solve some of our developmental problems," Sharma told PTI on the sidelines of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Trials for 5G is presently being carried out in few countries like the US and Japan.

Citing the use of 5G in areas like smart transportation, smart cities and agriculture, Sharma said that individual domains will have to come forward and explore the application scenarios.

"Domains like transport, smart cities, agriculture and irrigation and others will have to come forward and figure out what are best case application scenarios for 5G," Sharma said.

Sharma said that while 2G/3G/4G were communication technologies, 5G involves a use of technology in areas not traditionally connected with the communication system.

"The 2G/3G/4G applications are communication applications but 5G is a technology which is being used in areas not traditionally connected with communications system like Internet of Things...Connected cars, smart transport, smart lighting, and in areas like agriculture and irrigation," he said.

Asked if the regulator will begin work on regulations of 5G, Sharma said while there may be a need for some regulations, the developmental and deployment aspects will have to be looked at first.

"It is not as if we are going to develop technology and framework. Those technologies and API (application programming interface) are already specified by ITU (International Telecommunication Union). I don't think we have to do any work there," he added.

"Of course, it will require some regulation overall...Some framework...But my belief is that we should not think of regulation per se, we should think of regulation as the minimum requirement, wherever it is required," he said.

The focus should be on letting the sector grow and letting applications of 5G grow in various areas, he said adding, "...Then if there are issues, we will regulate them.