5 G Rollout – The times they are a-changing

On Independence Day, during his Speech PM Narendra Modi said that the facility of optical fibre would be provided across the country to connect even the smallest villages in the rural areas of our country. And true to his word, PM Modi rolled out the 5 G on 1 October 2022. The fifth-generation telecom services in India have been made available to as many as 13 cities in the first phase of roll out of 5 G. Ashwini Vaishnav, Union Minister of Communications, Electronics, and Information Technology said that 51.2 GHz of the spectrum has been sold out, Reliance Jio was the highest spender, followed by Bharati Airtel and Vodafone Idea. Adani Data Networks was the lowest spender having acquired just 400 MHz for around Rs.212 Crores.

What does this mean for business and especially for Marketing professionals?

Let’s take a very brief look.

The power and alacrity – speed of communication will transform the business into a much more vibrant setting. Digital marketing, the digital advertising platform will undergo a transformational shift towards much more application of technology to reach out to a wider audience much more effectively. Short-term video Apps, Online platforms will move fast forward in their field. More professionals in this segment will be in demand in the job market. Those aware and those who have the skill set and aptitude to use the technology will find many takers. They will be in demand as marketing to a large extent will go digital. The 5 G rollout, with AI, Cloud Technology, and these emerging technologies will transform the very basis of the business – the thinking and consequent action plans will all change. Today what we are witnessing will not be what we can expect five years down the line, say 2027, and five years is not long. But 5 years for technology transformation is a very long time with new technologies emerging at a fast pace almost daily.

The youth, vibrant as they are, have to remain vibrant. They need to stay updated and well informed not only for the present times but even with the future that would emerge – they need to think ahead and then only they will be able to stay ahead and stay relevant.

Imagine the powerful visuals, and the seamless and consistent branding experience that can be tapped with the roll-out of the 5 G. Speed of the internet is expected to be at least 20 times faster than 4 G with the use of 5 G. This means greater capacity and exponential growth opportunities for business. New business models, products and services, tapping the technology advancements for providing faster, consistent and better connectivity for exponential growth of business will emerge. Those who do not change with the times will have no other option but to become dinosaurs – the choice is very clear, stay tuned and aligned with the emerging technologies to be relevant to the present times as well as for the future. As for India, we are blessed with excellent IT education and IT talent, and consequently, the IT-friendly youth will take the fast-forward path to progress taking our country to the greatest heights of progress and prosperity.

I am tempted to quote from the famous Bob Dylan song of the early or probably mid-sixties:

Come, gather around people

Wherever you roam

And admit that the waters around you have grown

And accept it that soon

You’ll be drenched to the bone

If your time to you is worth saving

And you better start swimming

Or you’ll sink like a stone

For the times, they are a-changing?

Suggestion: Watch Bob Dylan on YouTube - surely you'll enjoy the song.