The 7th India Mobile Conference (IMC) 2023 kicked off on Friday with an inauguration ceremony hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Bharat Mandapam. This year’s event centered around the theme of global digital innovation, with exhibitors showcasing cutting-edge technologies such as satellite communications, 6G demonstrations and other use cases.
On the first day of the event, dignitaries including Reliance Jio Chairman Akash Ambani, Bharti Enterprises Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal and Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla attended the inaugural session of IMC 2023. Unlike last year, where the 5G rollout announcement was a highlight of the event, this year we saw multiple demo sessions and other important announcements, which we’ll cover in this article, making the main headlines.
100 5G labs
The first major announcement is about setting up 100 5G labs in India to promote students, professors, startups and MSMEs to research 5G technology in various fields such as health, agriculture, manufacturing, etc. These laboratories will be set up in academic institutions in various states, including Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Telangana, Karnataka and others. The names of the institutions have been announced, including IIT Guwahati, IIT Silchar, Delhi Institute of Technology, Jamia Hamdard University, Birla Institute of Technology Mesra, among others.
Jio Space Fiber
At the IMC 2023 event, Reliance Jio showcased the country’s first satellite-based gigabit broadband service, providing high-speed internet in previously inaccessible areas. At the event, Jio demonstrated how they are delivering internet services to four remote areas including Gir, Gujarat, Kolbach, Chhattisgarh, Nablanpur Odisha and Jorhat Assam. Currently, there’s no word on when the service will be widely available to users.
Introducing JioSpaceFiber, India’s first gigabit satellite connection 🛰. Visit the Jio Pavilion at Mobile India Congress 2023 for more information. #JioAtIMC #Jio #JioSpaceFiber #IMC2023 pic.twitter.com/V62cwUF4u7
— Reliance Jio (@reliancejio) October 27, 2023
Reliance Jio also showcased the mixed reality phone Jio Glass at IMC 2023. Announced at the company’s 43rd Annual General Meeting, Jio Glass can be paired with a OnePlus Nord smartphone for demonstration purposes. We briefly tried it for a few minutes and it seemed fine.
6G Sensing Demonstration
Nokia showed off a demonstration of its 6G network that can act as a radar, sensing objects, people and movement without compromising privacy. This situational awareness will provide individuals with a digital sixth sense, allowing them to gather information about their surroundings, see around corners, and even interact with distant objects. Nokia demonstrated this 6G sensing capability live using a prototype radio. The company also highlighted its smart and secure rail network (NCRTC) and partnership with Alstom to provide dedicated wireless network for (NCRTC) Delhi to Meerut RRTS. It is said to be the world’s first LTE/4.9G private wireless network to support European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2 signaling. The dedicated network being deployed enables trains to use radio signals to continuously receive permission to move and report their exact direction and location to ensure the safety of everyone on board. Low-emission RRTS will transport more people at an average speed of 100 km/h, reducing travel times and road congestion.
RedCap Technology Demonstration
Reduced Capability (RedCap) solutions are designed 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 for devices such as smartwatches, other wearables, industrial sensors and AR/VR devices. At IMC 2023, Ericsson and Airtel partnered with Qualcomm to demonstrate reduced capabilities (RedCap) device capabilities. Earlier this month, Ericsson’s pre-commercial reduced capability (RedCap) software was successfully tested on the Airtel 5G network.
How Airtel uses artificial intelligence to solve network problems
Airtel’s A-SON solution is not a new proposition, but it attracted us to demonstrate how the solution would work in a region. Airtel claims that its AI-powered Self-Optimizing Network (A-SON) is reshaping the network experience. The system detects anomalies and resolves them through artificial intelligence without any human intervention. The solution is designed to anticipate future issues that Airtel’s network will face and ensure the team addresses them in advance. Notably, this solution was designed entirely by Airtel and was first launched in March 2022.
Additionally, Airtel demonstrated how Xtream AirFiber can work in areas without fiber or broadband connectivity. Currently, the service is available only in select areas such as Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Noida.
In addition to demonstrating live 5G experiences at IMC 2023, Vi also showcased a variety of use cases covering enterprise, consumer and community development, highlighting the huge potential of the technology and 5G.
The OnePlus Nord 3 brings some major upgrades over its predecessor, including some flagship-grade specs. We discuss this and more on the latest episode of Orbital’s Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.