Merger of 5Gi and 5G

Subject – Science and Tech

Context – ‘Telcos, stakeholders agree on 5Gi, 5G merger’

Concept –

Telecom service providers and other stakeholders across the boardagreed on an action plan merge to 5Gi with the global standard on 5G, the Telecommunications Development Society of India (TSDSI) said.
The 5Gi and 3GPP-5G merger is a milestone and will be a key enabler to achieve high-speed, high quality connectivity for all as 5G gets rolled out in India and the rest of the world.
- The 3GPP or the third-generation partnership project is a global initiative that provides standards and specifications on telecommunications technologies.
- 5Gi, an initiative of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) was planned as an indigenous technology that was to be developed jointly by the Indian Institutes of Technology at Madras and Hyderabad.
The 5G Radio Interface Technology, called 5Gi, is an initiative of the Telecommunications Standards Development Society, India (TSDSI), together with the academia, whose merger plan with the global 5G standards, will now be submitted to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and TEC.

What is 5Gi?

5Gi is a locally designed telecommunication network that has been designed by IIT Hyderabad, IIT Madras and the Centre of Excellence in Wireless Technology.
The project is approved by the Department of Telecommunications in India and has been provided with funding as well.
The technology developed by Indian institutions will be an alternative to the global 5G standards and has already got a thumbs up from the International Communication Unit.
The main problem with global 5G technology is that the range of coverage goes down with an increase in frequency. This is where 5Gi steps in, as it provides a higher range at a lower frequency.

5Gi might be more efficient and effective than 5G?

Essentially, 5Gi network technology is capable of working at a lower frequency than 5G by still providing a higher range.
The technology works on a Low Mobility Large Cell method, which transmits a cell-based waveform which results in increased range. the TSDSi or the Telecommunications Standards Development Society of India says that “Enhanced cell coverage enabled by this standard, will be of great value in countries and regions that rely heavily on mobile technologies for connectivity but cannot afford dense deployment of base stations due to lack of deep fibre penetration, poor economics and challenges of geographical terrain.”