Director General of the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) Rajan S Mathews on Monday said that the India Mobile Congress 2017 will lay an opportunity for India to contribute to global digitization, as well as fuel the Centre’s ‘Digital India’ drive.
Speaking to a news agency on the sidelines of the press conference ahead of the main event, which is to begin on September 27 at Pragati Maidan here, Rajan opined that issues like digitisation, technology improvement, and the use of robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT) and so on would take center stage.
“The Congress is one that brings the industry together under one roof, thus enabling the creation of an opportunity for India to contribute to the global digital drive. Indian consumers are also looking forward to using new technology like Virtual Reality, augmented reality, automated vehicles and so on. Given our low tariff rates, infrastructural drawback and other obstacles, we need to say what best can be done to realize the Digital India mission,” he said.
Further, with regards to call drops, Rajan highlighted that many pockets of India lack adequate mobile towers, which proves to be a problem in the long run. He added that new technologies are being explored, including an opportunity to manufacture fibers in India itself.
However, Rajan, on behalf of the COAI stated that the authorities need to be completely transparent and clarify to regulators why they have chosen the current model.
By Baishakhi Dutta