With 5G technology getting deployed this year, the government is preparing itself for the next generation – 6G and has constituted six task forces also that include various academia from across the country.

In an office memorandum dated December 30, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) said that for a developing economy like India with a large population and significant opportunities, it is vital to identify 6G technologies that are likely to make a major impact in addressing the needs of the economy and in meeting challenges, in an affordable manner.

The new task groups are headed by Bhaskar Ramamurthy, director, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Madras; Abhay Karandikar, director, IIT-Kanpur; Bharadwaj Amrutur, director, Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore; Kiran Kumar Kuchi, director, IIT-Hyderabad on multi-platform for next generation networks, spectrum policy, multi-disciplinary innovative solutions, and devices respectively.

“Multi-disciplinary solutions will be systems and use-case applications that will leverage currently defined 5G and evolve to 6G as next generation communications technology intended to be used by various vertical industries beyond the usage by currently operating telecom service providers,” the DoT said in the memorandum.

With a strong emphasis on technology commercialisation, the work will encompass the full lifecycle of research and development, manufacturing, pre-standardisation and market readiness, it said.

“These technologies will include but go beyond wireless and optical communications and extend to sensors, robots, actuators, and even real-time virtual collaborative activity,” it added.

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