Gen. Kochhar, please tell me about yourself and your career trajectory from the Army to an industry body

I was with the Indian Army for nearly four decades, where I retired from as the head of the ICT Wing. I was responsible for planning, executing and operating telecom and IT networks of the Indian Army and for the training of nearly 100,000 army men. Prior to this, I was the Additional Director General Personnel, handling the HR and empowerment of the 11 lakh strong national Army. I have also served as the CEO of the Telecom Sector Skill Council of India where I helmed key partnerships with industry, universities and skill councils. Personally, I am fascinated with the transformative power of telecom today and understand the rural-urban divide that India epitomises. There is huge scope for collaborations and business for technology solutions. As Director General of COAI, I am responsible for ensuring the bridge between the telecom industry and government is intact. We're looking at some exciting times with the advent of 5G in India. 

Where does India stand when it comes to 5G implementation and how do you envisage India's leading telecom operators get onboard this strategy?

India's telecom ecosystem is relatively small after several consolidations, so its a tight knit community in that sense. Regarding 5G, the government has announced trials and given spectrum for trials as well. I'd reckon they have done a good job with this so far, having covered many segments and geographies - urban and rural. The trial is intended to give a holistic view of how 5G will work in India, not just rely on case studies provided by Western nations. Operators here are preparing themselves for a complete rollout. Airtel has begun trials in Hyderabad, while Jio is doing so in Mumbai. These trial runs will allow operators to build local use cases and get a finer understanding of how 5G impacts the Indian user. 

How is 5G's implementation strategy different and significant from other spectrums in the past?

5G actually doesn't depend on a particular spectrum, it can work on any given spectrum. However, if one has to truly reap the benefits of 5G as envisaged by the creators, you need a higher spectrum. Earlier Gs (2G,3G and 4G) were serving a human being as telephony and data services were limited to businesses and any personal interactions. But 5G will be the first time technology will enable machines to talk to one another. From a user point of view, this will be the biggest advantage and difference between 5G and other spectrums. From a tech POV, 5G will deliver low latency, higher speeds, capabilities and adaptabilities to meet the dynamic needs of businesses today. This is a very flexible system that offers near instant communications, with no delays between subscribers - be it humans, machines or sensors. With Industry 4.0, IoT networks and AI systems growing exponentially, the ecosystem that is developing today in India is primed to thrive on 5G. It's not like 4G cannot deliver these capabilities, this will require network expansion which is expensive and time consuming. And even if operators decide to expand existing networks, the quality of experience and service that 5G can offer will not be the same. This is how 5G will be a game changer. 

How is 5G going to advance AI, BI, IoT and other related emerging technologies?

5G relies heavily on the robustness and versatility of software devices such as routers, virtualisation networks, edge computing, network slicing and so on. The entire tech works on a stockpile of data, so AI is imminently suitable for 5G. AI thrives on statistics and patterns; no two patterns are the same across two geographies like USA and India. This is why we need to start generating our own databases, which can be utilised by local AI systems to make the 5G experience local, faster, better, adaptive and flexible. Our networks will become self learning networks using AI and function semi-autonomously. 

What are the knock-on effects of 5G on cybersecurity? Can AI help here as well?

While 5G can significantly limit the digital divide, the biggest challenge it brings is cybersecurity. With millions of subscribers, each one is a potential attack vector. Until now, humans were considered the weakest link in cybersecurity but with 5G, any connected device could be a source of infection. The local cybersecurity landscape will completely change after 5G. AI thrives on data patterns, so applications and use cases with a propensity for numbers and patterns will benefit the most from 5G. This includes malicious and compromising cyber behaviour as well. We anticipate a huge cloud of AI - merged with networks, cybersecurity and applications. 

What's the ideal roadmap for implementation of 5G in India?

This is a new tech, and I believe it has the potential to greatly bridge the digital divide. We will see more smartphones in hands of subscribers than ever before, and we will move toward a more homogenous society with remote work rising in, blended with digital highways. To make this a reality, a sound network ecosystem is essential. Unless proper networks are laid down, we can't expect this technology to thrive. There is undoubtedly huge potential in 5G but it can be elevated to its fullest potential with a sound network that can sustain itself for a few years until strong, local use cases emerge. For now, network operators have to rollout these technologies within the existing ecosystem but a lot has to change such as taxations, levies and facilitations. Currently, the telecom industry pays about 38% of its revenue as taxes. The government has to start thinking differently about this taxation structure and the strain it causes on the operators, and strive to make the rates a bit reasonable. In fact, several countries aren't even charging their operators for trial-based rollouts. The network has to be seen as an enabler, not just a communication network. If the network isn't strong with an element of incentive, the application will not thrive, and the tech will not reach its full potential. 

How are you addressing the misinformation campaigns and the negative image around 5G?

We first analyse why this kind of misinformation is spreading. There are some mischievous societal elements with an axe to grind with the government, and there are fence-sitters who are ill informed. 5G is a new technology so obviously, there will be questions and doubts. It is on us to explain to the general public the technology and its various features. In rural areas, this has to be done in a simple and practical manner without overwhelming villagers with statistics. For those who want to see hard data, we have that too. As for miscreants who spread lies and peddle wrong information, there are measures deployed by state governments to take strict legal action. 

What kind of expectations does the industry have from 5G? How aligned are these expectations with the realities of 5G?

The telecom ecosystem consists of device manufacturers, OEMs, operators and suppliers. If we look at this entire section, the question we keep coming to is 'how can they give the best and cheapest devices?' We have to consider economies of scale and standardisation. International standards usually have interoperability between products and services, paving the way for rolling out cheaper and better products using economies of scale. Whatever is produced in India should be standards-based, follow a thorough testing process, should be verifiable and should have economies of scale. With government incentives like PLI, we can aim to make products standardised and globalised with necessary security overlays. 

How is COAI advocating for 5G?

The advocacy we do with industry and government is primarily for the benefit of the millions of subscribers. India's telecom industry has consistently provided the cheapest and best telecom services to subscribers. The industry is keen on ensuring even the least advantaged subscriber - economically and geographically - is able to reap the benefits of the latest spectrum and services. So wherever facilitations need to be done to ensure this goal, we are there.