Network readiness: Preparing India to make the most of digital possibilities

By Manish Sinha, CMO, Sterlite Technologies

The world is on a rollercoaster of digital transformation. A revolution that has the power to change our way of living. Around half the world is connected and billions are about to join this shift to digital. In the next phase, the internet has to move is the only potential solution. Investments in digital infrastructure can unlock long term growth and help reap socio-economic benefits as well.  

The government and private players worldwide are putting their best efforts to connect millions of unconnected in the coming couple of years. To measure network readiness, a reliable system is required. The global Network Readiness Index (NRI) is one such tool that measures how Information and Communications Technology (ICT) impacts the competitiveness and well being of nations. This global system works on four pillars: Technology, People, Governance, and Impact. 

Currently, India ranks 88th globally on the NRI list. India is well poised to zoom into the top 30 countries and already building a strong foundation. The country has come a long way by connecting over 600 million users. But it still has a huge ground to cover to make itself fully connected and booming as a digital economy. 

Here are the five ways to validate network readiness:

1. Building the next generation of digital infrastructure: To deliver the next generation of user experiences, the country needs to move away from legacy and build fundamental and futuristic network infrastructure. It needs to build ultra-high-speed broadband highways that run across the country and provide a backbone for futuristic use cases. Taking a 360 degree view of connectivity, the country needs to build a robust public connectivity system with upcoming technologies like Wi-Fi6. High-speed connectivity needs to reach the premise level; the need to deliver fibre-to-anywhere (FTTx) or fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) has become apparent. 
2. Dedicated investments for network modernization: Next-gen infrastructure plans would need long term investment commitments. The top economies like the US, Japan, and Germany are spending 1 per cent to 2 per cent of GDP each year on digital infrastructure. Realising the criticality of investments in network infrastructure, the Biden administration recently launched a 100 billion plan to expand internet access. As of today, India is spending only 0.5 per cent of GDP towards digital infrastructure. India is behind the curve and would need to step up investments and efforts on this front. On the private side, investments need to be made in network modernisation. Early signs of Indian telcos investing big in Open RAN and Edge computing can be also seen. For example, Bharti Airtel partners with Qualcomm to rollout Open-RAN 5G in India.
3. Government vision and support for connecting the unconnected: Over the next decade, India’s success will be determined by how well it manages to connect the unconnected and equip our networks with world class technology. The government has started several initiatives to connect every nook and corner of the country. An example for it would be Bharatnet that has started to generate impact by connecting thousands of people in rural India. Connecting 600,000 villages is no easy feat. The key to success here lies in the fast and technology led implementation of national broadband programs, and also need to address important questions of adoption and usage by humanising technology for rural communities. 
4. Use cases and ecosystems to convert digital opportunities into economic opportunities: Investing funds and efforts in building digital infrastructure and connecting the unconnected has the potential to catalyse the economy. A digital economy is likely to create 65 million jobs and contribute 12 per cent to GDP by 2025. The benefits also include social dividends like reduced inequality. However, to reap these benefits, the country needs to have meaningful use cases that can be adequately scaled. To convert opportunities presented by connectivity into economic gains. An allied ecosystem of e-education, telemedicine, smart cities, and agritech can actually transform society on the whole.
5. Tracking network build as a metric: After having committed hefty investments and resources for building futuristic network infrastructure and technology use cases, India needs to have a structured governance mechanism and track the network builds and their impact as a metric. The country needs to closely monitor the pace of legacy network modernisation. Initiatives like Ghar tak fibre and Bharatnet need to be tracked in mission mode. And the overall network builds need to be tracked at a granular level starting from tehsil, district, town, and state level.