Ashwini Vaishnaw makes India's first 5G call at IIT Madras

Chennai: Union Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics, and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday made the first 5G call on a trial network set up at IIT Madras using indigenously-developed technology.

Taking to Twitter, Vaishnaw wrote, "Aatmanirbhar 5G successfully tested 5G call at IIT Madras. The entire end-to-end network is designed and developed in India."

"This is a realisation of PM's vision. His vision is to have our own 4G and 5G technology stack developed in India, made in India for the world. We have to win the world with this new technology stack," Vaishnaw was heard saying in the video call.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched a 5G Test Bed, developed as a multi-institute collaborative project by a total of eight institutes led by IIT Madras.

According to the Prime Minister's Office, the project has been developed at a cost of more than Rs 220 crore. The Test Bed will enable a supportive ecosystem for Indian industry and startups which will help them validate their products, prototypes, solutions and algorithms in 5G and next-generation technologies.

Meanwhile, Vaishnaw also inspected Chennai Egmore (MS) Railway Station and Egmore Metro Rail station.

"Large and medium-sized railway stations will all be redeveloped. Gandhinagar (in Gujarat) and Rani Kamlapati (in Madhya Pradesh) Railway Stations are today world-class," he said.

"We are taking up many more stations. In Tamil Nadu, we are taking up Chennai Egmore, Madurai, Katpadi Junction, Rameswaram, and Kanyakumari; close to Rs 2000 crore of investment," he added.

The minister said that objective is to maintain the heritage and make it world-class for it to be the hub of economic activity.

Earlier on Thursday, Vaishnaw said the 4G and 5G network developed in India is an attempt to prove Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resolve toward a self-reliant India.