India, July 26 -- The nascent 1990s saw the advent of 2G, the first GSM-based digital mobile system. Since then, the juggernaut of successive generations has rolled forward inexorably. Seven years ago, 5G was launched commercially in South Korea on 3 April 2019 by SK Telecom, KT, and LG U+.

Within weeks, Verizon launched 5G in the United States. By October 2019, China's three national carriers had begun nationwide deployments. Through 2020 and 2021, Europe, the Middle East and parts of Asia followed. By 2021, more than 60 countries had operational 5G networks.

India entered later. Commercial services began on 1 October 2022. Yet the pace since then has been exceptional. By early 2025, 5G services were reported to be available across mo...