Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the silver jubilee celebrations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India via video conferencing in New Delhi on May 17, 2022. (Photo/PIB)
New Delhi: Connectivity will determine the pace of progress in 21st century India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on May 17, 2022.
He was addressing a programme marking the silver jubilee celebrations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) via video conferencing.
PM Modi said connectivity has to be modernized at every level.
He noted that today India is connecting every village in the country with optical fibre.
“Before 2014, not even 100 village panchayats in India were provided with optical fibre connectivity. Today we have made broadband connectivity reach about 1.75 lakh gram panchayats. Hundreds of government services are reaching the villages because of this.”
PM Modi said that 5G technology is also going to bring positive changes in the governance of the country, ease of living and ease of doing business.
“This will boost growth in every sector like agriculture, health, education, infrastructure and logistics. This will also increase convenience and create many employment opportunities. For rapid roll-out of 5G, efforts of both the government and industry are needed.”
He added that the self-made 5G Test Bed that he dedicated to the nation today, is an important step toward self-reliance in critical and modern technology in the telecom sector.
He congratulated all those associated with this project including the IITs.
“The country’s own 5G standard has been made in the form of 5Gi, it is a matter of great pride for the country. It will play a big role in bringing 5G technology to the villages of the country,” PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister noted that in the last 8 years, new energy was infused into the telecom sector with the ‘Panchamrita’ of Reach, Reform, Regulate, Respond and Revolutionise. He credited TRAI for playing a very important role in this.
Prime Minister Modi said that the ‘whole of government approach’ is important for the regulators like TRAI also for meeting the present and future challenges.
The Prime Minister also released a postal stamp to commemorate the occasion. Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw, Devusinh Chauhan and L. Murugan, and the leaders of the telecom and broadcasting sectors were among those present on the occasion. (Press Release)
