Focus: GS III: Infrastructure
Why in News?
Recently, the Indian government has launched the Bharat 6G Alliance (B6GA) to spearhead the development of 6G technology in the country.
About Bharat 6G Alliance:
- The Bharat 6G Alliance is a collaborative platform with the goal of achieving universal and affordable connectivity, promoting indigenous technology, and positioning India as a global leader in the telecom sector.
- This platform brings together public and private companies, academia, research institutions, and standards development organizations to lead the development and deployment of 6G technology in India.
- It seeks to establish coalitions and synergies with other 6G Global Alliances to foster international collaboration and knowledge exchange.
- The main aim of the alliance is to create consortia that drive the design, development, and deployment of 6G technologies in India by bringing together Indian startups, companies, and the manufacturing ecosystem.
- One of the key objectives of the Bharat 6G Alliance is to facilitate market access for Indian telecom technology products and services, thereby enabling India to emerge as a global leader in 6G technology.
- To support the advancement of 6G technology, the government has allocated a grant of 240.51 crores through the Telecom Technology Development Fund scheme to fund 6G technology projects.
About Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF):
- The Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) was launched in 2022.
- It is a scheme that utilizes 5% of the annual collections from the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) to fund research and development of technologies, products, and services in the telecom sector.
- The main objective of the scheme is to bridge the digital divide by fostering the development and manufacturing of state-of-the-art technologies.
- The TTDF aims to create synergies among academia, start-ups, research institutes, and the industry to build and develop the telecom ecosystem in India.
- By providing financial support for research and development, the scheme encourages innovation and the advancement of telecom technologies.
- The ultimate goal of the TTDF is to promote the growth and expansion of the telecom sector in India, contributing to the country’s digital transformation and connectivity goals.
