Key Points

Ashutosh Dutta, Chief 5G Strategist at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, said that ubiquitous connectivity will be one of the key pillars of 6G. "Not everybody has access to cell towers or Wi-Fi, so when these are not available, we fall back to satellite," he explained. Dutta underlined the need for integrating non-terrestrial and terrestrial networks to ensure uninterrupted communication. "Operators, academics, and service providers should work together to build prototypes, simulations, and testbeds to support different applications," he said.

He also highlighted the importance of secure and seamless connectivity in future networks. "As we switch between access technologies like Wi-Fi and satellite, maintaining security and privacy will be crucial," Dutta said, adding that collaboration across countries on chip development and AI-enabled technologies would strengthen future networks. "India has real technical manpower and strong government support. What we need is collaboration among academia, industry, and government to develop the future skill set," he noted.

Adding to the discussion, Professor Harald Haas, Professor of Engineering, famously known as the "Father of Li-Fi," said the technology could play a major role in India's connectivity revolution. "Li-Fi can help connect rural communities by building free-space optical communications where fiber is too expensive," he told ANI. He explained that Li-Fi could complement existing 5G and 6G networks by providing additional data capacity and energy-efficient connectivity. "We can even use solar panels as broadband receivers, harnessing both sunlight and data together," Haas said.

Japan's National Institute of Information and Communication Technology (NICT) executive Iwao Hosako also expressed optimism about India's role in shaping the global communication landscape. "India is a very big power because of its industries in communications and software development," Hosako told ANI. He said Japan sees great opportunity to collaborate with India on creating new services and technologies. "Many talented people from India already work with us, and we hope to expand this cooperation to a higher level, between industries and governments," he said.

- ANI