5G services likely in 50 top cities by March 2023, say telecom gear makers

According to the gear makers, on an average, the first phase will require about 1,000 towers in each city to be enabled with 5G gear. (Delhi alone will need 4,000 towers)

Telecom gear makers, who are in talks with telcos, say that if all goes well, they are ready to roll out the first phase of 5G services from October this year and cover the country’s top 30-50 cities (in limited areas) by March 2023. 

The gear makers expect the telecom companies to give them a heads-up about their plans as well as the equipment required by July, and have promised deployment in three to four months after that. India’s main telecom gear suppliers are Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung.   

Says a top executive of a leading telecom gear maker: “Deployment time has