5G Use Case Labs Workshop Inaugurated at IIT Guwahati: Fostering Innovation and Development

Guwahati:  Dr. Neeraj Mittal, Secretary (Telecom) at the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, inaugurated a two-day workshop on “5G Use Case Labs: Awareness and Pre-Commissioning Readiness” at IIT Guwahati on February 12, 2024. The workshop, organized by the National Telecommunications Institute for Policy Research, Innovation and Training (NTIPRIT), aimed at fostering innovation in 5G technology use cases, with a particular focus on the eastern region.

More than 100 participants from around 30 institutions of the eastern region attended the workshop, highlighting the enthusiasm and interest in advancing 5G technology in the country. The workshop is part of the larger initiative by DoT to set up hundred 5G Use Case Labs across India, with special attention given to the East Zone and involving 30 institutions, including IIT Guwahati.

The Standards-R&D-Innovation (SRI) division at DoT-HQ is leading the policy, implementation, and capacity building aspects related to 5G labs, ensuring timely installation and effective utilization by faculty, students, and startup communities. The initiative was recognized by the Prime Minister during the India Mobile Congress held in October last year.

Addressing the participants, Dr. Neeraj Mittal urged academic institutions to maximize the use of 5G Use Case Labs, creating new use cases that would extend the benefits of 5G technology to every section of society, contributing to India’s development.

Shri K. Moses Chalai, Secretary NEC, also emphasized the need for leveraging 5G use cases for the development of the North Eastern Region (NER).

The workshop featured presentations from industry experts showcasing potential 5G use cases in government, enterprises, education, agriculture, health, and entertainment. Some notable examples included solutions for capturing civic amenity parameters, monitoring water-saving and leakage issues, innovative health solutions, and low-cost Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) solutions.

During the deliberations, faculty members from IIT Madras, IIT Guwahati, and other engineering colleges, industry representatives, startups, researchers, students, and DoT officers engaged in discussions to explore the vast potential of 5G technology.

The workshop provided an opportunity for participants to visit the Internet of Things (IoT) Lab at IIT Guwahati, further enhancing the hands-on experience and practical understanding of 5G technology applications.

Prof. Ratnajit Bhattacharjee from IIT Guwahati and Shri Atul Sinha, DDG NTIPRIT, also shared their insights during the inaugural session, contributing to the collaborative efforts towards fostering innovation and development through 5G technology in the region.