Govt Announces Major Advances in Smart Cities and 5G Projects
As of July 12, 2024, data from 100 smart cities indicated that work orders had been issued for 8,016 projects with a total value of Rs 1.64 trillion. Among these, 7,218 projects worth Rs 1.45 trillion had been completed, reflecting considerable progress in the mission?s implementation.
The minister also outlined the government?s efforts to advance the spread of 5G services nationwide. Key measures included allocating adequate spectrum through auctions, implementing financial reforms to rationalize Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR), and simplifying the procedures for radio frequency allocations.
Furthermore, steps have been taken to streamline Right of Way (RoW) permissions and speed up clearances for telecom infrastructure. This includes the introduction of the PM GatiShakti Sanchar portal and provisions for time-bound permissions for utilizing street furniture to install small cells and telegraph lines.
These initiatives have shown promising results, with approximately 170 million wireless data subscribers adopting 5G services within 19 months of its launch on October 1, 2022.
The advancements in both the Smart Cities Mission and 5G rollout are anticipated to significantly contribute to the country?s on-going digital transformation and urban development efforts.