To make operations smoother for the different 100 5G Labs established in academic institutions across India, Secretary (Telecom) Neeraj Mittal virtually inaugurated an Experimental License module for 100 5G Labs during a 5G workshop held at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, reported ANI.

This initiative seeks to simplify the experimental and licensing requirements for these labs, which would further promote smoother functioning and encourage innovation within the 5G sphere.

DoT grants 5G case labs to educational institutions
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has granted 100 5G Use Case Labs to educational institutions nationwide. The primary objective of this initiative is to cultivate competencies and increase involvement in 5G technologies among students and start-up communities.

These labs will use 5G frequency bands for carrying out various experiments and testing use cases. Hence, they must acquire the Experimental (Non-Radiating) category of license from the Department of Telecommunication to ensure interference-free operations for licensed Telecom Service Providers. (TSPs)

How to procure a license?
This license is currently being issued on "Self-declaration Mode" from the Saralsanchar portal of DoT through the National Single Window System (NSWS) and till date, around 1,500 licenses have been granted since the launch of this module on the Saralsanchar portal in July 2021, according to an ANI report.

The DoT has implemented a streamlined process for issuing this license via a specific Approval Type called Experimental License for 100 5G Labs on the NSWS Portal (https://www.nsws.gov.in/).