New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that India has made telecom not just a medium of connectivity but also a medium of equity and opportunity and noted that this medium is helping in bridging the gap between rich and poor.
Addressing the inaugural session of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) - World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA) 2024 at Bharat Mandapam here, Modi India is one of the most happening countries in the world in terms of telecom and related technology.
"India's mobile and telecom journey in the 21st century is a subject of study for the entire world. In the world, mobile and telecom were seen as a convenience, but India's model has been somewhat different" he added.
The Prime Minister noted that India has made digital connectivity an effective tool for last-mile delivery and said that there are 120 crore mobile phone users, 95 crore internet users and more than 40 percent of the world's real-time digital transactions take place.
Highlighting the importance of telecommunications standards in the world, Modi said Global telecommunications standards and future discussions will also serve global good.
Calling the convergence of WTSA and India Mobile Congress "highly significant", he said 'the WTSA aims to work towards global standards, while India Mobile Congress plays a great role in services".
Noting that India has 'democratized digital technology" the PM said, "India created digital platforms and the innovation that took place on these platforms created millions of new opportunities.
"The JAM trinity of Jan Dhan, Aadhar and Mobile has become the basis of many new innovations. UPI has given new opportunities to many new companies" he said.
Talking about the steps taken by the government in the last 10 years in the technology sector, Modi said the length of the optical fibre that India has laid is eight times the distance between the earth and the moon.
"Two years ago, we launched 5G in the Mobile Congress itself. Today, almost every district of India is connected with 5G service. Today, India has become the second largest 5G market in the world and now we are also working fast on 6G technology." the PM said.
The WTSA is the governing conference for the standardization work of the International Telecommunication Union, a United Nations agency for digital technologies, organized every four years.
This is the first time that the ITU-WTSA is being hosted in India and the Asia-Pacific region. Modi also inaugurated the 8th edition of India Mobile Congress 2024 during the programme.