“5G will create more opportunities for the operators”

The 1978-batch IAS officer with a master’s degree in mathematics from IIT-Kanpur and another in computer science from the University of California brings an amazing mix of technology and bureaucracy that allowed him to make a difference at every stage of his civil services—as a District Collector in Begusarai, Purnea, and Dhanbad or as UIDAI Director General, Jharkhand Chief Secretary and IT, and Communications Secretary. The Voice&Data Telecom Person of the Year for 2019 and TRAI Chairman Ram Sewak Sharma touches upon his role as a regulator, the changing business model of telecom service providers (TSPs) and opportunities that the 5G is likely to bring in. Excerpts from an interview with Shubhendu Parth:

- Shubhendu Parth

V&D: Digital India is a key component of good governance in the country and telecom is the most important infrastructure for delivering all e-governance and citizen services. How do you see the telecom sector in India evolve in five years from now?

RS SHARMA (RSS): Digital infrastructure and services are increasingly emerging as key enablers and critical determinants of a country’s growth and well-being. With significant capabilities in both telecommunications and software, India stands poised to benefit from harnessing new digital technologies and platforms to unlock productivity, as well as to reach the un-served and underserved markets, thus catalyzing economic growth and development, generating new-age jobs and livelihoods and ensuring access to next-generation services for its citizens.