The DoT is seeking proposals for 5G test labs in Odisha

The DoT has also started the "5G and Beyond Hackathon 2023" initiative in addition to setting up 5G test laboratories.

As part of the government's ambition to create 100 such labs across the nation, the Department of Telecom (DoT) is asking engineering and research institutions to submit suggestions for the development of 5G test laboratories in Odisha. In order to investigate the possible applications of 5G technology for various government agencies, these test labs will be built in partnership with other ministries and departments.

The remaining 99 labs at IIT Chennai will be built gradually; as of right now, only one test lab has been set up there. Institutions with experience in a variety of fields, such as fintech, mining, agriculture, health, and smart cities are urged to submit their applications to the DoT.

The national level will choose the lab locations based on the submitted suggestions, thus they have not yet been chosen in detail. These labs will be used to test and assess goods, programmes, and services that make use of 5G technology.

The DoT has also started the "5G and Beyond Hackathon 2023" initiative in addition to setting up 5G test laboratories. This programme intends to inspire people, students, businesses, academic institutions, and startups to turn their creative 5G ideas into workable products and solutions. The hackathon application process is now accepting online applications through July 31. 100 start-ups will each receive Rs 1 lakh for the creation of products and solutions for 5G and beyond.

Additionally, Odisha has already connected all district administrative centres to the Jio and Airtel-provided 5G network. Jio has 7031 towers and Airtel has 1433 towers that are currently operating in the state. By December, BSNL also intends to launch a 4G network throughout the state, followed by a phased transition to 5G.

Ten start-ups and companies recently displayed their cutting-edge 5G-based goods during a workshop on 5G use cases, which was organised to encourage the integration of 5G technology into real-life products and services. These included drones that could spray and analyse data, as well as mobile-based cancer screening for oral lesions and clinical evaluation of senior people's gait and movement patterns.