Coronavirus Outbreak Will Delay The Rollout Of 5G In India

Coronavirus originated from Wuhan has affected the world more than we can imagine. But the industry that the virus has arguably affected the most is the tech industry. And after the Mobile World Congress 2020 was canceled because of the virus, it is the 5G rollout in India got affected.

According to ET Telecom’s analysts, as the spread of the deadly virus has lead to the delay of the 5G spectrum auction. In 2019, vendors of 5G gears including Huawei received approval from the Department of Technology to take part in the trials of 5G in India. However, the rising threat of the virus has badly influenced the manufacturing of 5G gears. And as the telecom gear makers in China are leading the deployment of 5G, vendors like ZTE and Huawei aren’t able to deliver on schedule.

The 5G spectrum auction will be postponed until the first quarter of 2021. And in this event, the Indian government will auction 4G as well as 5G airwaves. About this matter, Rajiv Sharma, SBICap securities' research head, said:

And besides the effect of Coronavirus, due to high prices, telecom companies like Vodafone and Airtel will most likely not taking part in the auction. What worries these companies is the adjusted gross revenue that the DoT charges such as licensing fees and usage. The CEO of Airtel, Gopal Vittal said that they can’t afford the prices of 5G.

And until the Coronavirus is stopped for good, analysts are suggesting that not only the 5G rollout in India has been affected but also the world. But the Cellular Operators Association of India operating the country’s private telcos has brought a ray of hope. According to COAI, since they have also made deals with gear makers that aren’t from China, Coronavirus won’t affect the rollout of 5G in the country. But Swedish company Ericsson reports that it is not until 2022 will 5G connections be available in India.

>>> MWC 2020 Is Canceled Over Fears Of The Coronavirus Outbreak