How India and Israel can lead the way on 5G collaboration
Both Israel and India boast of a strong innovation base and are focused on technology-driven development. But both have been lagging behind in terms of their 5G rollout. Yet as they begin to build their respective 5G infrastructure, it is crucial to keep in mind the example of South Korea, where insufficient application development has limited the gains from 5G.
Imagine an Israeli surgeon based in Tel Aviv operating on a
patient in Mumbai remotely. This is just one of the promises of 5G telecom networks,
which will be characterised by rapid connectivity and near-zero latency. The 5G
revolution can open new pathways beyond health-technology and faster
smartphones to self-driving cars, the internet of things and virtual reality.
Despite the evident opportunities, 5G deployment globally
hasn’t been without challenges. Superpower competition, costly infrastructure,
and slow application development are holding back development. India and Israel
can, together, leverage their strengths to collaborate in areas such
application development, building networks of trust, and future research and
development and unleash the possibilities of 5G for their citizens.
Both Israel and India boast of a strong innovation base and
are focused on technology-driven development. But both have been lagging behind
in terms of their 5G rollout. Yet as they begin to build their respective 5G
infrastructure, it is crucial to keep in mind the example of South Korea, where
insufficient application development has limited the gains from 5G. After South
Korea’s rapid 5G infrastructure push, over half a million users returned their
5G subscriptions in 2020 due to the lack of relevant and attractive content and
services.
India and Israel have a real opportunity for cooperation to
avoid this. Strong application-based technology and infrastructure, supported
by government policy, will likely ease the capital investment concerns for
telecom operators. Speaking at a recent roundtable discussion, Israeli
Consul-General in Bengaluru, Jonathan Zadka, highlighted that Israel and India
are both fully integrated into the global app economy, but more cooperation is
needed when it comes to deep-tech.
This is where both governments should enable entrepreneurs
and innovators to work together. The creation of an Israel-India high-level
task force can bring together industry leaders, policymakers, and academia to
identify opportunities for collaboration. The establishment of joint Centres of
Excellence (CoE) focussed on emerging technologies could be another step,
permitting research and talent development. This effort can be bilateral in
nature, but it can also leverage the strengths of other actors such as Taiwan,
Japan, and Singapore.
Such cooperation among middle powers is critical as the
United States-China technology competition intensifies. US policy has primarily
focused on security concerns on 5G. Washington has called on allies to join its
Clean Network Initiative, which dispenses with Chinese involvement in telecom
networks. Despite this, complete Sino-US technology decoupling seems highly
unlikely. Nevertheless, this tense dynamic presents a strategic challenge for
other states.
Therefore, factors such as security, trust, and supply chain
resilience must guide decisions on cooperation between India, Israel, and other
like-minded states. As democracies, India and Israel should be cautious in
sourcing their hardware and must work to leverage comparative advantages and mitigate
risks.
One approach to do this could entail creating an
India-Israel-US partnership, which combines Indian software expertise, Israel’s
device development capabilities, and the US’s clout in building cloud-based
applications and setting international standards. The 5G era will involve a lot
of visualisation, which creates opportunities for Indian software firms to take
the lead. Also, focussing on AI-based security solutions along with the
development of use cases in sectors such as agriculture, health care and
transportation will facilitate international cooperation. Meanwhile, as a
start-up nation, Israel could use its ingenuity to create devices of the
future, powered on 5G and other emerging technologies. The US, finally, can
leverage its application development ecosystem and its cybersecurity expertise
to create new opportunities and ensure network security.
Such an approach is likely to resonate well with the private
sector, too. High-tech geopolitics is increasingly influencing corporate
decision-making. Companies are looking to States to create pathways for the
private sector to collaborate to build resilience and opportunities. A
multifaceted and clearly defined 5G partnership between India and Israel could
lead the way forward.
Comments
Post a Comment