New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches a 5G testbed on Tuesday which will support the country’s telecom industry and startups to validate their products, prototypes and solutions in the fifth generation, as well as next-generation technologies.

Modi is addressing a virtual program started at around 11:00 am, marking the silver jubilee celebration of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The PM will also release a postal stamp to commemorate the occasion, as per a government press release. The 5G testbed has been developed as a multi-institute collaborative project by a total of eight institutes, led by IIT Madras.

The other institutes that participated in the project include IIT Delhi, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur, IISc Bangalore, Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering & Research (SAMEER) and Centre of Excellence in Wireless Technology (CEWiT).

The project has been developed at a cost of more than Rs 220 crore, the release added.“The testbed will enable a supportive ecosystem for Indian industry and startups which will help them validate their products, prototypes, solutions and algorithms in 5G and next-generation technologies,” it said.