Explained: How India lost out on 5G network leadership opportunity

Over 140 operators in 63 countries already run commercial 5G services, according to the Global mobile Suppliers' Association

India’s date with 5G was proclaimed with fanfare in June 2019 when Com­munic­ations Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that spectrum for trial runs would be allocated to operators in 100 days. Twenty months later, forget spectrum auctions or the actual rollout of commercial services.  Operators are still waiting for the go-ahead for 5G trials. 

What critics call the government’s casual attitude came in for criticism yesterday when a report by a Parliamentary Panel headed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor slammed its ‘laidback’ approach and trial delays. The committee pulled up the Department of Communications (DoT) for insufficient preparation for launching 5G.