India will need 100% tower fiberisation for 6G, and it's now at 38%

6G will require 100 per cent fiberisation of towers and given that the current state of fiberisation of towers stands at 38 per cent, the country will have to develop an expedited plan to meet the above targets, a new report showed on Friday.

India should continue investing in research and development activities to contribute to the advancement of 6G technology - to strengthen the global knowledge base and help shape the future of this technology, according to the report by KPMG in India, in association with India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2023.

India should continue playing an active role in establishing global standards for 6G technology by leveraging its manufacturing capabilities to produce and export 6G equipment to other countries, the report added.

"India's forward-looking 6G vision document has positioned its digital prowess on the global technology forefront," said Yezdi Nagporewalla, CEO, KPMG in India.

Furthermore, India's population dividend and technological progress give it a tremendous advantage and can help the country achieve its goal of becoming a dependable global digital leader with cooperative action on digital literacy, cybersecurity, new technologies, and export promotion, Nagporewalla added.

India is focusing on development and adoption of cutting-edge technologies across 5G/6G, Satellite Communication (SatCom), and semiconductors.

KPMG estimates these three technologies to collectively add approximately $240 billion to the nation's economy in the next five years and estimates it to contribute an additional 1.6 per cent to the national GDP by FY2028.

Recognising the potential in the semiconductor space, the government is working aggressively to enable India to be at the centre stage of the global semiconductor supply chain and is offering some of the most attractive incentives globally. In total, India is offering $30 billion in support for semiconductors and related industries.

"The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector's robust growth trajectory indicates, major industry players looking to address the needs of this customer base have also found the opportunity to be global suppliers, supported by the government's thrust on conducive policy and enabling infrastructure," said P Ramakrishna, CEO, India Mobile Congress.