BIF expands its Operational Focus on 5G, Internet-of-Things (IoT) and Inclusivity

Broadband India Forum (BIF) has announced expansion of their operational focus on 5G, Internet-of-Things (IoT) and Inclusivity. With the addition of these three segments, BIF will now increase focus on five key strategic areas – Broadband, 5G, Inclusivity, Consumer Awareness and Harmonized Standards.

BIF has also announced that it has constituted three committees to operationalize these new areas of strategic focus.

The first is the ICT for Inclusive Ability Committee, to be headed by Dr Nirmita Narasimhan, Programme Director, G3ICT. The committee will focus on making ICT available for the differently-abled to enable and enhance inclusivity with a special focus on rural digital initiatives.

The Internet of Things (IoT) Committee will be headed by Dr Rishi Bhatnagar, IoT Expert and President, Aeris Communications.

The third committee that’s been constituted keeping in mind the needs of India’s growing telecom industry and one that is bracing itself for 5G trials, is the 5G Committee.

An Advisory Council of Patron Members has also been constituted. The Patron Members of BIF include Amazon, ATC India, Facebook, Google, Intel, Microsoft, STAR India, TATA Nelco, Qualcomm, Sterlite Technologies, Reliance Jio and Viacom 18.

T.V. Ramachandran, President, Broadband India Forum, said, “The rollout of 5G and the mainstreaming of IoT will redefine the business ecosystem in India. They will be game-changers in terms of economic development and will impact not just the technology and telecom industries but also have a dramatic fallout across other industry. Similarly, we believe that inclusion, specifically in relation to how the ICT industry can improve access for the differently-abled to improve their quality of life is important. We believe more policy interventions are required to enable this group to have better access to the benefits of technology.”