‘5G Has Reached Every District’: Modi Puts Mobile Phones at Centre of India’s Digital Push

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said 5G connectivity had reached every district in India, with more than 5.5 lakh base stations supporting the network, as he highlighted the growing role of mobile phones in governance and the digital economy.

Addressing the 10th India Mobile Congress at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi, Modi said mobile internet speeds had increased tenfold compared with 2022. Hundreds of government services were now accessible through phones, he added, reducing the need for citizens to travel, wait or incur additional costs.

“The mobile phone is no longer merely a means of communication or chatting. It has ensured less travel, less waiting, less cost and greater convenience for citizens,” he said.

₹50 LAKH CRORE THROUGH DIRECT TRANSFERS

Modi said ₹50 lakh crore had reached beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), claiming that preventing funds from falling into “wrong hands” had saved about ₹5 lakh crore.

“Through Direct Benefit Transfer, a sum of 50 lakh crore rupees reached the bank accounts linked to the beneficiaries’ mobile phones. This resulted in a saving of about 5 lakh crore rupees,” he said.

Under PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi, more than ₹4 lakh crore had been transferred directly into farmers’ bank accounts, the Prime Minister said. Payments were made every four months, with farmers receiving notifications on their phones when the money was credited.

He said these transfers had reached crores of small farmers who previously struggled to access government benefits.

A GAMING CONSOLE AND A CREATION STUDIO

Turning to gaming, Modi said more than 500 million people in India were estimated to engage with the sector in some form. Young people from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities were participating in gaming, esports, content creation and new gaming businesses, he added.

“In other words, in India, the mobile phone has today become both a Gaming console and a creation studio,” he said.

The expansion of telecom towers in remote areas, optical fibre networks and affordable data over the past decade had helped create new economic opportunities, Modi said. It had also widened the consumer base for technology, entertainment and education, while supporting a new generation of creators.

Modi described the India Mobile Congress as a platform reflecting the country’s telecom progress and ambitions. He recalled its hosting of the International Telecommunication Union in 2024, when discussions focused on global standards for the digital world, and last year’s emphasis on investment, innovation and Make in India.

As dependence on digital technology grew, he said, security frameworks needed to keep pace. “Phone security and network security are priorities for us all,” Modi said.

With inputs from ANI