India is witnessing one of the fastest rollouts of 5G in the world with coverage of 570 districts in just six months. Telecom secretary K Rajaraman tells Kiran Rathee that he expects a “pervasive” rollout across the country by early next year. He added that cash-strapped Vodafone Idea is in talks with financial institutions to raise funds. Edited excerpts:
It has been two months since the government has taken equity in Vodafone Idea (Vi). Can you share an update on the company’s investment plans?
Vi is in discussions with financial institutions and investors, and we expect them to revert soon.
What is the focus area for the Telecommunications department (DoT) this year?
This year, we will be looking at ensuring rollout of services under the 4G saturation project across uncovered villages, acceleration of 5G rollout across India and completion of Bharatnet project connecting 220,000 gram…
