PM At India Mobile Congress 2020: High-Speed Connectivity In Villages, Covid-19 Vaccination, And More

India is working to provide high-speed fibre optic connectivity to all villages, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today (8 December). "We are embarking on a plan to ensure that over the next three years, every village will have high-speed fibre optic connectivity," he said.

The Prime Minister was speaking virtually to inaugurate India Mobile Congress 2020. The online event, to be held during 8-10 December, is being organised by the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India, and the Cellular Operators Association of India.

Modi said that the government is also working on exclusive programmes for areas that would benefit greatly from mobile connectivity, such as areas affected by left-wing extremism, north-eastern states, and islands.

Additionally, he said the government was looking to increase the "spread of fixed-line broadband connectivity and public WiFi hotspots" in the country.

While speaking about the various benefits of mobile technology, Modi said it would also support mass vaccination against the coronavirus disease.

"It is ... with the help of mobile technology that we will embark on one of the world's largest Covid-19 vaccination drives," he said.

Prime Minister Modi touched upon India's rise in mobile manufacturing too. "India is emerging as one of the most preferred destinations for mobile manufacturing," he said, highlighting the government's "production-linked incentive scheme to promote telecom equipment manufacturing in India".

The scheme has already aided global electronics giants Samsung, Foxconn (Hon Hai Precision Industry), Rising Star, Wistron, and Pegatron to expand their domestic manufacturing footprint in India.

Last month, the scheme was extended to 10 more sectors, including pharmaceuticals, automobiles and auto components, advanced chemistry cell batteries, and textile.

The Prime Minister addressed the matter of electronic waste, as frequent technology upgrades have become the norm. He asked: "Can the industry form a task force to think of a better way of handling the electronic waste and create a circular economy?"

He also spoke of the need for collaboration in getting 5G technology going in India. "We need to work together to ensure a timely roll-out of 5G to leapfrog in the future and empower millions of Indians."

"The digital potential of our nation is unparalleled, perhaps even in the history of mankind," he said.

The theme for India Mobile Congress 2020 is "Inclusive Innovation - Smart, Secure, Sustainable".

Officials from various ministries and professionals in areas like 5G, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, data analytics, cybersecurity, and automation are expected to participate in the virtual event.