The seventh edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2023 kicked off on Friday with the inauguration by Prime Minister Modi at Bharat Mandapam. This year’s event is centered around the theme of Global Digital Innovation, with exhibitors showcasing cutting-edge technologies such as satellite communications, 6G demo and other use cases.
On the first day of the event, dignitaries such as Akash Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Jio, Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, and Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of Aditya Birla Group, attended the opening session of IMC 2023. Unlike last year, where the announcement of the 5G rollout was a major draw for the event, this year we saw multiple demo sessions and other important announcements, which we will discuss in this article and make the most important headlines.
100 5G laboratories
The first major announcement was about setting up 100 5G labs across India to encourage students, professors, startups and MSMEs to work on 5G technology in various areas such as health, agriculture, manufacturing and more. These labs will be set up in academic institutions across multiple states including Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Telangana, Karnataka and more. The names of institutions have been announced including IIT Guwahati, IIT Silchar, Delhi Technological University, Jamia Hamdard University, Birla Institute of Technology Mesra and more.
JioSpaceFiber
At the IMC 2023 event, Reliance Jio showcased the country’s first satellite-based Gigabit broadband service that provides high-speed internet in previously inaccessible areas. During the event, Jio demonstrated how they are providing internet to four remote locations including Gir Gujarat, Korba Chattisgarh, Nabrangpur Odissa and Jorhat Assam. Right now, there’s no word on when the service will be generally available to users.
Introducing JioSpaceFiber, India’s first gigabit satellite connectivity 🛰. Visit the Jio Pavilion at India Mobile Congress 2023 to learn more. #JioAtIMC #Jio #JioSpaceFiber #IMC2023 pic.twitter.com/V62cwUF4u7
— Reliance Jio (@reliancejio) October 27, 2023
Reliance Jio also showcased the Jio Glass, a mixed reality handset, at IMC 2023. Announced at the company’s 43rd Annual General Meeting, Jio Glass was available for a demo paired with a OnePlus Nord smartphone. We tried it briefly for a few minutes and it seemed reasonable.
6G sensing demo
Nokia presented a demo of its 6G network, which can act as radar and detect objects, people and movements without compromising privacy. This situational awareness gives individuals a digital sixth sense, allowing them to gather information about their surroundings, see around corners, and even interact with objects from a distance. Nokia provided a live demonstration of this 6G sensing capability using prototype radio equipment. The company also highlighted its smart and secure railway networks (NCRTC) and its partnership with Alstom to provide a private wireless network for (NCRTC) Delhi to Meerut RRTS. It is claimed to be the world’s first LTE/4.9G private wireless network to support European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2 signaling. Thanks to the private network deployed, trains can continuously receive their movement authorities using radio signals and transmit their exact direction and position to ensure the safety of everyone on board. The low-emission RRTS will transport more people at an average speed of 100 km/h, reducing travel time and traffic congestion.
RedCap technology demo
Reduced Capability (RedCap) solution aims to reduce complexity and extend device battery life while delivering higher data rates/speeds. RedCap is a new radio access network (RAN) software solution from Ericsson that creates new 5G use cases and enables more 5G connections from devices such as smartwatches, other wearables, industrial sensors and AR/VR devices. At IMC 2023, Ericsson and Airtel partnered with Qualcomm to demonstrate Reduced Capability (RedCap) device capabilities. Earlier this month, Ericsson’s pre-commercial Reduced Capability (RedCap) software was successfully tested on the Airtel 5G network.
How Airtel solves network problems with AI
Airtel’s A-SON solution isn’t a new proposition, but it attracted us to demonstrate how this works in a region. Airtel claims its AI-powered Self Optimizing Network or A-SON is reimagining the networking experience. The system detects anomalies and resolves them with AI without any manual intervention. The solution is designed in such a way that issues that Airtel networks will face in the future are predicted and the team resolves them in advance. Notably, the solution was completely designed by Airtel and was first introduced in March 2022.
In addition, Airtel also demonstrated how its Xtream AirFiber works in areas where it does not have fiber or broadband connectivity. Currently, the service is available in select regions such as Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Noida.
In addition to showcasing live 5G experiences at IMC 2023, Vi demonstrated various use cases across enterprise, consumer and community development, highlighting the enormous potential of technology and 5G.
OnePlus Nord 3 brings some serious upgrades over its predecessor, including some flagship specs. We discuss this and more in the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
